Ginny Weasley and the Order of the Phoenix
by Enter the Extinct Age
Summary: I was reading OotP and thinking 'what happened to those outside the Trio?' Ginny knows. so this will be OotP- from HER POV. her thoughts, her views, added scenes and more! worth the read- my summer project. :)
1. A Different Kind of Summer

**A/N: **Okay, so this is the big fic I'm so excited about. :D This DOES have Order of the Phoenix spoilers (duh), so if you haven't read _it, please don't read __this.  You can read OotP along with this if you want to check and see if I'm right- I tried really hard to make it all connect, so if you find a mistake please tell me.  Since the chapters are so long, I can't promise frequent updates. But they will be good, I swear! :)_

**Disclaimer**: there will be some lines (dialogue) that are excerpted straight from the book.  I can't claim them as my own, as much as I'd like to, and all credit for them goes to JK Rowling.  If you read along, or something like that, you'll know which ones aren't mine.  Just be warned- some of these ingenious lines (okay, all :P) aren't mine.

**--GINNY WEASLEY and the Order of the ****Phoenix--******

        Number 12 Grimmauld Place was, to put it bluntly, a mess.  When the Weasleys had arrived, Ginny thought that her mum would have a heart attack upon seeing the state of it.  On the other hand, she had never seen Fred and George so happy; from the moment they laid eyes on the troll's leg umbrella stand in the hallway they had set about exploring the house with great gusto.  Ron and Ginny exchanged apprehensive looks as Mrs. Weasley bustled towards the kitchen, muttering under her breath darkly and looking around at the walls as if they had personally offended her.

        The house wasn't exactly the epitome of comfortable, but it would do for the family.  On the plus side, there was no ghoul ranting and throwing pipes around at random hours in the day.  On the negative side, hardly any communication with the outside world could be established at all; owls were strictly forbidden and Floo trips were a once a week treat.  

        Ginny sat in the drawing room with her legs tucked underneath her as she gazed outside into a drab London alley.  It was the middle of August, sweltering hot and gray around the clock.  As she watched a thin tabby cat try to break into the neighbor's rubbish bins, she reminisced on her summers at the Burrow.  They were always green and pleasant, laughing and relaxing.  This one had been much different.

        She looked down at her lap where an assortment of items lay; an opened envelope complete with letter, photograph, wand, and her new black gloves she had gotten as a birthday present from her brother Bill.  Her fingers traced the picture as she grinned in amusement before picking up the letter and reading it yet again:

_Hey Ginny!_

_        I can't believe you're going to __Romania__ for a month! Isn't that some sort of an obscene amount of time to be with dragons? I understand though- I'll bet you miss your brother.  I have an older brother too, I don't know if I've mentioned him, his name is Danny and he works with the Australian Ministry (I have no clue why).  So whenever I can, I visit him.  I'll just miss you I guess._

_        Anyway, I found this picture in my school trunk; three guesses who took it?  'Course it was Colin with his mad camera.  It's of us at the Yule Ball…or rather, me with flying bogies attacking my face and you in the background with your wand.  Still really sorry for trying to grab you like that…moving on…thought you might like it.  It was pretty funny._

_        Like you said in your last letter, I don't think Merlin would be up to a flight to __Romania__ every week, so I suppose this is my last letter until we start school. So I'll meet you when we get there- my mates have already asked me to sit with them on the train.  I hope you don't mind?  _

_        Love,,_

_Michael_

        Despite herself, Ginny felt a goofy smile come on her face.  Michael Corner was a Ravenclaw she hadn't really noticed before.  In fact, the only time she had ever heard of him was when she overheard her Gryffindor friends Melanie Pitman and Rowena Fallow talking about how cute he was.  At last year's Yule Ball she was the only third year there, but no one could tell.  Not three dances had gone by before an attractive brown haired boy had tried to dance with her, only to get a panicked Bat-Bogey Hex in the face.  She had immediately taken him up to the Hospital Wing (her counter-jinx wasn't so good then) and spent the rest of the night talking to him.  By the end of the night, he had asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him next chance they got.  Michael was incredibly sweet to Ginny, giving her kisses on the cheek before classes despite her shrieks of 'Ron will see!'  It was nice having a boyfriend; it was even nicer that the having of a boyfriend had helped her to get over Harry.  Ginny marveled that one night could practically erase any lingering feelings she had for her brother's best friend.  She carefully slipped the letter back into its envelope along with the picture and put it in her pocket, along with her wand.  

        Suddenly, the door opened with a bang.  Ginny immediately slapped her hands to her ears.  Sure enough, the wailings of Mrs. Black echoed throughout the dusty house.  Though muffled by her well placed hands, Ginny could still slightly hear her ramblings.

        "SCUM!  TRAITOR BRATS INFESTING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS!  ROTTEN FILTH!"  Ginny's normally laughing brown eyes narrowed in intense dislike; she knew perfectly well that the 'traitor brats' was referring to herself and her brothers.  In the corridor, she could hear several voices, all of which she knew well.  

        "So sorry Molly, really I am, I don't know why I don't just dodge the stupid leg…"  Ginny grinned as she recognized the apologies of Tonks, one of her newest and coolest friends.  

        "That's all right dear," came the slightly disgruntled voice of Mrs. Weasley.  "Coming Severus?"  

        "In due time Molly," the Potions master's oily voice replied.  "Just wiping myself off."

        "Oh I am sorry about that," Ginny's mum apologized sheepishly, starting to come into view.  "I'm _trying _to clean this place up, but it's proving much more difficult than I anticipated…Ginny dear, what are you doing down here?"  Mrs. Weasley looked down curiously at her daughter, who shrugged lightly and craned her neck around her mum's plump figure to see the newcomers.  Tonks was now trying to help Snape rid himself of the dust, to Ginny's amusement.  Snape did not look happy with his current position.  

        "I rather think it'd be best if you went along upstairs," Mrs. Weasley interrupted Ginny's thoughts pointedly.  Ginny looked up and scowled.

        "I'm just having a cup of tea Mum," she said, pointing to her steaming cup of tea on the window ledge.  

        "You can have it upstairs now can't you?" her mum replied without hesitation, placing her hands on her hips.

        "But-"

        "It's all right Molly, there's nothing she won't find out eventually to tell at the moment…let her stay for a bit."  Tonks (today with dark brown curly hair) walked into the room and sat down on one of the sagging chairs, winking behind Mrs. Weasley's back at Ginny.  Ginny grinned in delight back as her mother sighed in defeat. 

        "Fine, fine…I daresay you'd like a cup of tea?" she offered, starting to walk towards the kitchen.

        "A Gillywater would do me if you've got it," Tonks said, leaning back more comfortably in her seat.  At that moment, Snape strode in with an annoyed look on his face; despite his and Tonks' efforts, his robes still had the look of black robes smothered with chalk dust.  

        He nodded slightly to Ginny who managed a small bob of her head in return.  Behind him, Tonks was crossing her eyes wildly and morphing her mouth into tiny baby lips, full pouty lips and a drab fish-like mouth in rapid succession.  Ginny bit her lip hard to stop herself from erupting into giggles as Snape lazily drew himself a chair with his wand and sat in it prominently.  

        "A spot of tea for you as well Severus?" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen.

        "No thank you," Snape replied smoothly.  Ginny picked up her own tea and sipped it slowly, taking in the scene carefully.  Fred and George would _kill_ to be in her position; Snape's visits were rare, and always very hushed.  As usual, her mum interrupted her musings as she burst out of the kitchen slightly rosy-faced, a small glass goblet filled with Gillywater in one of her hands, a cup of tea in the other.

        "You did hear me say-?" Snape started to inquire, but Mrs. Weasley interrupted him as well.

        "I did.  This is for me."  She sank into a chair, handing over the Gillywater to Tonks as she did so.  Ginny was absently sipping tea until her lips hit nothing- she was done.  She carefully set down the teacup, praying that her mother wouldn't notice she was finished and send her out of the room.  

        All of a sudden, a man with long black hair walked into the room.  Ginny smiled slightly as she looked at the door to see Sirius Black.  

        If someone had told Ginny Weasley a month and a half ago that she would come to regard Sirius as a favorite uncle, she would have laughed in their face.  They would have been completely right though.  After a brief but effective explanation given to the twins, herself and her parents (apparently Ron already knew) by Dumbledore, Ginny had developed a fondness for the fun-loving fugitive.  Miserable though he was at being back in his old house, he brought an air of recklessness and humour around with him wherever he went (granted, not that far from Grimmauld Place).  So obviously, he got on famously with Fred and George, and just as obviously, not as much with Hermione.  

        "Sirius!" Tonks cried jovially, getting up and giving him a hug.  He grinned happily and patted her on the back, sitting down next to her and carefully avoiding Snape's presence, who was doing exactly the same to him.  From what Ginny could gather, this was the arrangement that suited them most, as it required very little, if any, contact between the old school nemeses.  

        "Cheers Tonks," Sirius greeted her, nodding to Mrs. Weasley.

        "Nice to see you Sirius…"  Ginny almost laughed; it was obvious her mother only half meant this statement.  "Tonks and Severus just came back from a meeting with Mad-Eye and Remus."  

        "Well don't let me interrupt then," he said, jumping up.  He was about to leave when Tonks said something that made him stop in his tracks.

        "It's about Harry."

        "Well then," Sirius said quickly, pivoting and sitting quickly back down in his chair.  "I just might have to interrupt now."  Ginny let out a small giggle.  Sirius looked over, saw her, and grinned, giving her the now familiar nod of greeting.

        "So?" Mrs. Weasley asked after a moment's pause, in which Tonks loudly slurped her water and Sirius hummed a tuneless tune.  "Anything?"

        Ginny looked up sharply.  They had never before discussed 'anything' in front of her…

        "Yes," Tonks said after she had swallowed a gulp of water.  "Harry's gotten himself into a spot of trouble it seems."  Mrs. Weasley looked up as sharply as Ginny did a minute before at this, and Sirius stopped humming immediately.

        "Is he all right?" she breathed anxiously.  Snape let out an odd sound, halfway between a snort and a snicker.  

        "Of course," he said.  "He always manages to get himself out of these situations."  Mrs. Weasley diverted her gaze to Ginny, who sat perched stock still on the ledge.

        "Are you sure she should be in here?" she asked the two in front of her in hushed tones.

        _Oh honestly_, Ginny thought, _I can still hear you Mum!_

Tonks shrugged.  "Like I said before, it's nothing she won't hear eventually.  Besides, I think I'm right when I say Ron and Hermione will want to know about anything involving Harry won't they?"  Mrs. Weasley nodded, gave Ginny another worried glance, and then looked back to Tonks.

        "What happened?" 

        "To make a long story short, a few unexpected guests showed up at his aunt and uncle's place- almost killed him and his cousin.  But he's fine," she added quickly as Mrs. Weasley clapped her hands to her mouth and Ginny almost fell off her ledge.  "Really, he's fine.  A little shaken I can guess, but as far as we can tell, no permanent damage.  Mrs. Figg found him afterwards and reported to Dumbledore immediately."  Sirius breathed a sigh of relief, putting his head in his hands for a brief weakened second.

        "Thank God," Mrs. Weasley said, a hand to her chest.  As soon as her worried face had gone, it was replaced by one of equal suspicion.  "Who was on duty?"

        Tonks shifted uncomfortably in her chair, apparently steeling herself for the worst.  "Dung Fletcher," she said, in a would be casual voice.  Mrs. Weasley's face turned the dangerous red Ginny had come to associate with the twins whenever they happened upon trouble.  Sirius bit his lip, obviously trying to conceal his laughter at the indignant look on her face.  Snape examined his fingernails impassively.  

        "Are you telling me," Mrs. Weasley began angrily, "that on the _one night_ Harry really needs protecting, Mundungus decides that something is _more important?!?"  Tonks visibly gulped; Sirius caught Ginny's eye and they both had to look away for fear of laughing.  Quietly, she got up with her teacup in hand and deposited it on the dressing, silently tiptoeing her way out of the room as her mother exploded._

        "IF YOU TELL ME THAT HE WAS OFF DOING ONE OF THOSE CROOKED DEALINGS OF HIS I WILL LET HIM HAVE IT, MAKE NO MISTAKE!!  HARRY COULD'VE BEEN KILLED-"

        By the time Mrs. Weasley had started on her unfavorable description of 'Dung' Fletcher, Ginny was safely up the stairs and into the peace and quiet of her own room.  To be fair though, it was Hermione's too, but Ginny privately felt as if it were hers and hers alone.  

        Hermione had come towards the end of July.  Apparently, she had been begging her parents to let her stay so that she could help, but after hearing what exactly was going on in the wizarding world her parents weren't too keen to let her go.  Ginny had heard long accounts of just exactly how boring their annual trip to the south of France was when they were too wired to get some sleep.  When Hermione's parents realized how much she wanted to help her friends with the fight they gave in and let her stay with the Weasleys.

        Ginny flopped on the bed and winced as she felt it sag dangerously beneath her.  If it wasn't four in the afternoon, she would've curled up and gone to sleep.  Suddenly, she felt a weight pounce up on the mattress near her feet.  Ginny picked her head up off the sheets slightly and smiled when she saw the ginger bowlegged form of Crookshanks, Hermione's cat.  Crookshanks purred happily and curled up on Ginny's feet, causing warmth to flood through them gratefully.  

        "Hallo Crook," Ginny whispered, scratching the cat behind its ears fondly.  "Where've you been?  Chasing Kreacher again?"  Crookshanks mewed in a satisfied way at her feet; she could've sworn that he smirked at her.  "I'm not saying he didn't deserve it," she said to him grinning.  "I-" 

        The door burst open.  Getting used to the interruptions, Ginny rolled over off the bed and gracefully onto her feet, almost knocking Crookshanks off of the bed as she did so.  She stood, wiped her hands on her jeans and looked into the worried faces of Hermione and Ron.

        "You could have knocked," she said in mock irritation, but she shut her mouth when they continued to looks anxious.  "What's wrong?" she asked in alarm.

        "We heard yelling…about Harry," Hermione said tentatively.  "Is he all right?"  Ginny looked from Hermione's face to her brother's face and grinned.

        "Oh that's all…he's fine," she said, and the older two immediately looked very relieved.  

        Hermione sat down next to Crookshanks and petted him as Ron finally spoke.  "Mind filling us in then Ginny?"  

        It only took about five minutes for Ginny to relate what she knew to them.  She found that telling Ron and Hermione anything was always great fun; Hermione actually gasped or squealed in suspenseful places and Ron's facial expressions were priceless.  At the end of the explanation, they were rather subdued.  

        "What?" Ginny asked uneasily.  "He's fine…why are you still looking so miserable?"  Hermione sighed as Ron sat on her bed opposite Ginny's.  

        "Dementors Ginny," Ron said bluntly.  "Hello?  We're talking bad, evil toerags here- what is this?"  Ron suddenly got up as though scalded and looked down at the object that had made him so uncomfortable.  Ginny raised an eyebrow and walked over; when she saw what it was, she clapped a hand to her mouth and had to fight very hard not to laugh.  Hermione, meanwhile, had flushed deep pink.

        Ron, as red as his hair, made an odd squeaking noise and mumbled something about 'things to do' before bolting out of the room.  Hermione looked at the spot on the bed and groaned, leaning back and hitting her head on the wall as a result.

        "_Why_ did I leave that out?!?" Ginny picked up the offending object with a pinky; a lacy black bra.  

        "Dunno, but if it's going to get my brother out of my room I think you should leave it out more often!" Ginny replied grinning impishly.

--

        The next few days consisted mainly of Ginny, Ron, Hermione and the twins doing their bit for the Order; that is, cleaning up the house.  Sirius would pop in and out to help occasionally, but they all knew too well that he'd rather be doing the 'important stuff' with Order members, seeing as he couldn't leave the house.  

        After cleaning out a particularly nasty Callous Cupboard, all anyone could think about was one of Mrs. Weasley's homemade lunches.  Ginny slouched in a chair, taking off the bandana she had tied around her hair to keep the sweat out of it with a flourish.

        "Done!" she said happily.  The others replied with an exhausted, but happy, cheer.  "That was weak," she said mischievously, ducking the feather duster that Fred chucked at her.  "Better," she amended.  Fred rolled his eyes fondly and mussed up her hair with his hand.  She squealed and shrank in her seat trying to get away, but it was a lost cause.

        "You're not getting away you little devil you!" Fred growled teasingly, rumpling up her hair so severely that when she finally came up for air, she looked like a madly grinning burning bush.  Ron and George were laughing hard (Hermione looking disapproving but amused) when Mrs. Weasley came in with a tray of sandwiches.

        "Here we are- why are you grinning like the Mad Hatter Fred?" she said sharply, noticing Fred's triumphant expression.  Ginny giggled.

        "Just a friendly little game Mum," she piped up.  Upon looking on her only daughter with hair the size of London, she sighed irritably.  "Come off it, I can fix it," Ginny protested when her mum got out her wand and pointed it at her hair, but Mrs. Weasley was not to be swayed.

         "_Relaxium Strandus!" Ginny's fiery hair fell back onto her shoulders in red waves.  "Much better.  Try not to do that again Fred dear," she scolded Fred, who was still chuckling.  At that moment, a thin red-haired man came through the door.  Ginny sprang up as her brothers yelled happily._

        "Dad!" Arthur Weasley laughed jovially as Ginny attacked him in a huge hug as his sons stood grinning behind her.  Even Hermione was smiling; Mr. Weasley was a man everyone could love, whether it be for his wacky notions or kind nature.  Mrs. Weasley smiled and walked over to her husband, giving him a kiss on the cheek and a turkey sandwich.

        "I've made lunch, do have something before you go rushing off again," she said, shooing Ginny away from the chair she had occupied before so that he could sit down.  She crossed her eyes at her Mum's back and sat on a questionable trunk next to Hermione, munching on her egg and cress sandwich happily and watching her parents carefully.

        "I've just received confirmation from Dumbledore," her father was saying.  "We'll get him out of there and I can take Harry to the hearing from here-"

         "That's enough Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said sharply, looking round at her children and Hermione, all of whom had stopped laughing immediately to listen.     

        "Harry's got a hearing?" George said curiously.  "Why, what'd he do?"

        "It's none of your concern," his mum said, sending her husband a furious glance.  

        "It's not like they won't find out love," he said wearily.  Angrily, she turned to try and find someone on her side, but when the only eyes she met were those too intrigued to look away she knew she was defeated, just like before with Snape and Tonks.   

        "Oh fine," she snapped, picking up the now empty tray and huffing out of the room.  Ginny watched her dad closely as he smiled weakly and held the sandwich in his hand limply; it didn't look like he was ever going to eat it.  

        "So…?" Fred prompted.  Ginny noticed that Hermione was clutching her dirty cleaning rag as if it were a teddy bear, and Ron had a curious look on his face.  Her dad looked at Fred.

        "Harry's got a hearing with the Ministry of Magic in a couple of weeks," he said, setting down the sandwich.  "He used the Patronus charm on the Dementors," Fred and George looked startled at the word 'Dementors', but as Ginny had already told Ron and Hermione, their facial expressions remained the same, "…and they want to expel him from Hogwarts."

        "WHAT?" Ron roared in disbelief as Hermione gasped and Ginny's eyes widened.

        "Are you joking?" she asked her Dad, and he shook his head.

        "But they can't!" Hermione said shrilly, making George (who was standing next to her) jump.  "I'm _positive there's a Decree somewhere that says life threatening situations are different…"_

        "Which is why I'm sure Harry will get off," Ginny's dad cut in smoothly, smiling.  "Don't worry Hermione, really."  Hermione didn't look completely convinced by this, but she bit her lip and didn't say anything after that.

        Ginny's head was swarmed with disbelief and anger at the Ministry: first they took Percy, now Harry?!?  It was bad enough that they had to make Harry out to be a raving lunatic, but to expel him from Hogwarts would be the limit.  He _had_ to get off- didn't he?

--

        For three days all Hermione and Mrs. Weasley did was rant about the hearing.  Ron always looked incredibly angry whenever the subject came up, making the Harry Potter Possible Expulsion rival that of the Percy Weasley Fiasco.  Ginny did her best to keep going as if everything were normal, but the truth of it was that this news just made her more tense and worried than usual in Grimmauld Place.  She and the twins successfully ridded a small, dingy room of the Fretwart birds nesting in the clothes shelves while Hermione and Ron did more work in the kitchen than anywhere else.  Although the previous night's turkey was burnt almost beyond recognition (Ginny couldn't help but notice Ron's flaming ears as he and Hermione brought it into the dining room), they weren't doing such a bad job of it.  

        Ginny was in a good mood the next evening.  Her mother had finally relented and let her have a lie-in, so she was rested and the bags under her eyes had decreased slightly.  She slid down the now polished banister, biting her lip to stop the squeal aching to come out.  Looking down at the door to the dining room, she saw Fred and George untangling long pieces of the flesh colored string they called 'Extendable Ears'.

        "Hello you lot," she said from behind them, making them jump and then shush her violently.

        "We want to get these under so we can hear," George informed her in hushed tones after clapping a hand to her mouth.  

        "Snape's in there," Fred added, smirking.

        Ginny didn't want to let them know that she had heard a conversation involving Snape; it would kill all their careful planning.  Instead, she nodded with feigned wide and curious eyes, prying off George's hand as she did so.  

        "Anyway, we-" George stopped mid-sentence.

        Faraway echoes of footsteps had interrupted their whispered conversation.  "Who's at the door do you reckon?" Fred asked, looking as though he was listening with all his might.  Ginny shrugged as George said "Dunno mate."  The twins looked down at Ginny's flaming head.

        "Looks like we may have to investigate Gin," George said, tucking the Extendable Ears in his robe pocket.  

        "Cheers," Fred said winking, and the two of them disappeared with a _'crack'_.  

        "Bugger," Ginny mumbled, slumping down and hugging her knees against the door.  She looked behind her at it absently.  "What is going on in there?" she murmured, getting on her knees and trying to peek through the keyhole.  No use; it had been covered with a piece of parchment and Spellotape, no doubt by her mother.  

        A package of Dungbombs lay at the bottom of the staircase.  "Fred and George," Ginny muttered grinning, crawling over and picking it up.  A flash of a conversation with Tonks flew through her head.

        "_Those two are wasting their time…Molly will probably have put an Imperturbable Charm on that door.  Tell you what though kid; a good flick of a Dungbomb and you'll know if it has one on it."_

Ginny's grin widened as she quietly opened the package and placed a ping pong ball sized ball in her hand.  Climbing a little further up the steps, she silently flicked it at the door with her fingers deftly.  It soared towards the door with a tiny whistle- and then it bounced away on contact.  Ginny giggled; Fred and George weren't going to be happy about that.  

        The hushed voices had stopped and no one was coming down, so Ginny found that flicking Dungbombs was the best way to use her time at the moment.  Before long, the entire package was laying in shredded piles at the foot of the door.  Ginny looked down at her hands and grimaced at the dirt that had accumulated on it.  It would be so easy if only she were a legal witch…

        From above her, there came the sound of a portrait's voice Ginny had come to know as Whiny William Black, a short brown haired wizard who didn't do much besides complain.  "Honestly, if Madam Black were up and about she'd be appalled- harboring Harry Potter in her house?  It's a scandal…and I'm thirsty!"  

        Ginny's heart almost stopped.  Harry…here?

--

How did you like it?  Review please, it's not hard, and if I don't get enough reviews I might not continue…although it is so much fun. :) 


	2. Unexpected Arrival

**Disclaimer: **I don't own parts of this chapter, as Ginny is now interacting with Harry, therefore bits that are in the real Order of the Phoenix. NO LAW SUITS PLEASE!! :D the whole conversation in Ron's room is JK's.

This one is a little shorter. Hope you don't mind. :) keep the reviews coming, they make my day!

--

            Ginny held her breath and tried to be as quiet as possible so she could hear.  Her ears craned for a sound, any sound, that could prove Whiny William right.  If he was, she knew that the summer would be undoubtedly more different than it had been, if that were possible.  It would be interesting to see if Harry would notice she didn't blush in his presence anymore…

        Her ears were rewarded when she picked up the faraway sounds of yelling.  At first, she thought it was Mrs. Black, but upon hearing the word 'Dursleys' in the rant she knew she had struck gold.  Ginny stood up and carefully put the empty Dungbomb box near the banister.  Looking down at the door she had to giggle; the floor was littered with Dungbomb leftovers.  Her mum would have a fit!

        She quietly climbed the steps towards the yelling voice.  It seemed to be coming from Ron's room, which would make sense.  If Harry were to sleep anywhere, it would be in the unoccupied twin bed Ron had.  He thought he was so special for having a room to himself…Ginny grinned in satisfaction as she thought of Ron now having to share it.  

        The door to Ron's room was black and sturdy, with a serpent's head for a knob.  Ron hadn't been too happy about that, and Ginny suspected it was because of a certain blond haired boy they all loathed so much.  Ginny was about to knock when she heard two loud _'cracks'_ would could only mean two things; Fred and George.  

        "Stop _doing _that!" she heard Hermione say behind the door.  Ginny almost laughed, but stopped herself just in time.  There was no reason why she couldn't just listen a little bit…

        A couple minutes of conversation passed about Fred and George's Apparation tests, but as Ginny had heard about as much as she could ever hope to know about them it wasn't that interesting.  But as she listened, she heard a bit about the Extendable Ears.  Time to let the twins know their attempts were useless at this point.  Ginny grinned and allowed herself to turn the doorknob, and walk into the room.

        Sure enough, Harry Potter was standing in the room.  He looked thinner and more miserable than Ginny had ever seen him, but she was sure that bringing this up would not be smart.  So instead she opted for a happy, bright approach.

        "Oh, hello Harry!" she said in a cheerful tone.  "I thought I heard your voice."  _At the volume you were yelling it'd be rather hard not to…_

Ginny diverted her attention to Fred and George; just like she had suspected, they were holding the Extendables in their hands, ready to use.  "It's no-go with the Extendable Ears, she's gone and put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door."  She didn't have to explain who 'she' was.

        "How d'you know?" asked George sighing and shoving the string back into his pocket.  

        "Tonks told me how to find out," Ginny explained, thinking that Harry would have no idea what they were talking about and grinned.  "You just chuck stuff at the door and if it can't make contact the door's been Imperturbed.  I've been flicking Dungbombs at it from the top of the stairs and they just soar away from it, so there's no way the Extendable Ears will be able to get under the gap."  Fred echoed his twin's sigh at this news.

        "Shame.  I really fancied finding out what old Snape's been up to." 

        "Snape!" Harry cut in curiously.  "Is he here?" Ginny almost felt sorry for him; he really had no clue, did he?

        "Yeah," George confirmed, walking over the door she had left open and closing it cautiously.  He looked at Ron's bed and seemed to deem it worthy; jumping on it, he grinned and bounced a little.  Fred followed and Ginny, sick of standing up and feeling incredibly short, sat with them.  "Giving a report.  Top secret."

        "Git," Fred added absently, picking at Ron's blankets.  Ginny giggled slightly.

        "He's on our side now," Hermione reminded them sternly.  Ginny had the urge to roll her eyes at this.  Snape may be on their side, but that didn't stop him from being, as Fred put it, a git.  Even Bill said so- and as far as Ginny was concerned, that made it truth.  Bill was seldom wrong on judgment of character.  

        As if reading her mind, Ron snorted and replied, "Doesn't stop him being a git.  The way he looks at us when he sees us!"

        "Bill doesn't like him either," Ginny decided to add.

        "Is Bill here?" Harry asked, just as curiously as before.  "I thought he was working in Egypt?"  

        "He applied for a desk job so he could come home and work for the Order," Fred explained.  Ginny remembered that night; Bill had come to Grimmauld Place in a very grumpy mood.  He loved the adventure of the tombs and Curse Breaking, and shuffling papers did nothing to quell his thirst for it.  "He says he misses the tombs but there are compensations."  Ginny looked at her older brother smirking and felt one of her own coming on her face- she was pretty sure she knew what he was talking about…

        "What d'you mean?" Harry asked.  

        "Remember old Fleur Delacour?" George said, proving her right.  "She's got a job at Gringotts to _eemprove 'er Eenglish-" Ginny bit her lip to stop herself from laughing._

        "And Bill's been giving her a lot of private lessons," Fred finished.

        "Charlie's in the Order too," George informed Harry, who looked as though he wanted every piece of information about their summer that he could get.  "but he's still in Romania.  Dumbledore wants as many foreign wizards brought in as possible, so Charlie's trying to make contacts on his days off." 

        "Couldn't Percy do that?" Harry asked.  Ginny's eyes narrowed when she heard the name of her pompous older brother; the twins and Ron looked suddenly dark and even Hermione looked angry.  Harry looked rather confused at this behavior.  Ginny couldn't really blame him.  He didn't know.

        "Whatever you do, don't mention Percy in front of Mum and Dad," Ron warned him with a tight jaw.

        "Why not?" Harry asked in bemusement.  Ginny bit her lip again, but this time it was in sadness.  Percy was a delicate subject now, and every time it was brought up it made her more miserable about it…and angrier.

        "Because every time Percy's name is mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum starts crying," Fred put in. 

        "It's been awful," Ginny said, thinking of the nights when her Mum was too sad to make dinner; hence, the burnt turkey.  

        "I think we're well shot of him," George said, looking for all the world like he was glad of it.

        "What's happened?" Harry asked urgently, placing an absent hand on his snowy owl Hedwig, perched on the dresser, and began stroking her feathers.  

        "Percy and Dad had a row," said Fred.  "I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that.  It's normally Mum who shouts."

        "'Aint that the truth," George mumbled, so softly that only Ginny could hear him.  Her somber expression perked up a tiny bit.  

        It was the first week back after term ended," Ron said, leaning against the wall and looking murderous.  It was kind of scary.  Ginny hadn't often seen that expression on her older brother's face before.  "We were about to come and join the Order.  Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted."

        "You're kidding?" Harry said, looking slightly surprised.  This reaction echoed that of the Weasleys when Percy had told them, months before.  

        "Yeah, we were all surprised," said George, voicing this thought.  "because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, there was an inquiry and everything.  They said Percy ought to have realized Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior.  But you know Percy, Crouch left him in charge, he wasn't going to complain."  Ginny watched Harry closely.  He was looking at George with a mixed expression of disbelief and apprehension.  Hermione was biting her nails, something Ginny had rarely seen her do.  Upon looking closer, she saw that almost every fingernail had been chewed.

        "So how come they promoted him?" Harry asked honestly.

        "That's exactly what we wondered.  He came home really pleased with himself- even more pleased than usual, if you can imagine that- and told Dad he'd been offered a position in Fudge's own office.  A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts: Junior Assistant to the Minister.  He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think."

        Ginny remembered.  Her dad had said, to Percy's disbelief, "Junior Assistant?  What a pompous name for a useless job."

        "Only Dad wasn't," Fred said, bringing Ginny out of her reverie.

        "Why not?" asked Harry.  He was asking a lot of questions.

        "Well, apparently Fudge has been storming 'round the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore."

        "Dumbledore's name is mud with the Ministry these days see," Fred informed Harry, who looked taken aback at that news.  "They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know-Who's back."

        "Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks," his twin continued.

        "Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, he knows he's friendly with Dumbledore, and he's always thought Dad's a bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession," Ron said in a low, bitter voice.

        "But what's that got to do with Percy?" Harry looked utterly lost by now.  Inside her brain, Ginny couldn't see the memories of Percy for a red mist surrounding them; if he ever came back, she'd let him have a piece of her mind…

        "I'm coming to that," Ron said, rolling his eyes in an amused way at his friend's confused state.  "Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family- and Dumbledore."  Harry whistled incredulously.  

        "Bet Percy loved that."

        Ron laughed, not sounding like himself at all.  Ginny felt her blood boiling at the thoughts of Percy and what he'd done, what he'd said…

        "He went completely berserk.  He said- well, he said loads of terrible stuff.  He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad's got no ambition," Ginny's hands were clenching in suppressed rage, "and that's why we've always been- you know- not had a lot of money, I mean-"

        "_What?_" Harry said in complete disbelief.  Ginny reached her boiling point and it bubbled over into a little growl that sounded like an angry cat.

        "I know," said Ron in that same low, bitter voice.  "And it got worse.  He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was heading for big trouble and that Dad was going to go down with him, and that he- Percy- knew where his loyalty lay and it was with the Ministry.  And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong to our family any more.  And he packed his bags the same night and left.  He's living here in London now."  Ron looked disgusted.

        "Bloody hell," Harry muttered, running a hand through his hair.  Ginny realized, with a start, that the action didn't make her stomach drop as it did before.  Her mood picked up slightly, but was brought down again when Ron continued the story.

        "Mum's been in a right state.  You know- crying and stuff."  A flicker of fear flew across Ron's face at this, making Hermione roll her eyes, the first action she had done since the beginning of recounting the Percy Tale.  "She came up to London to try and talk to Percy but he slammed the door in her face.  I dunno what he does if he meets Dad at work- ignores him, I s'pose."

        "But Percy must know Voldemort's back," Harry said, as if trying to convince himself.  "He's not stupid," Ginny snorted, "he must know your mum and dad wouldn't risk everything without proof!"

        "Yeah, well your name got dragged into the row," said Ron, looking oddly apologetic.  "Percy said the only evidence was your word and…I dunno…he didn't think it was good enough."

        Hermione spoke up for the first time, abandoning her nails for a minute.  "Percy takes the _Daily Prophet seriously."  Ginny nodded with a scowl on her face.  Looking up though, she saw that Harry was still looking confused._

        "What are you talking about?"  Harry asked slowly.  

        As Harry gradually caught onto the Daily Prophet mess, Hermione cautious and calm in her explanation, Ginny tuned it out.  She'd read so much in that blasted newspaper that any mention of it caused her an immediate grouchy mood.  True, she no longer felt attracted to Harry Potter, but now she felt like he was more of a brother; as a result, she was protective of him and his reputation.  She had almost scalped Seamus Finnegan once for saying that 'his scar looks like a toddler's drawing'.  Suddenly, she found herself back to earth as Harry raised his voice angrily.

        "_Voldemort killed my parents_!" Harry said, apparently on the brink of becoming enraged.  Ginny felt the most sympathy now she had ever felt towards him in the past hour.  She didn't know what she'd do without her parents; what it must be like for him she didn't _want _to know.  "I got famous because he murdered my family but he couldn't kill me! Who wants to be famous for that?" As Harry continued, she knew he needed some sort of confirmation they believed him…it looked as though his self esteem hadn't been at its peak for quite some time now. "Don't they think I'd rather it'd never-"

        "We _know _Harry," she interrupted sincerely.  Hermione looked at her gratefully before turning and continuing her subduing of their angry friend.

        "And of course," Hermione began, "they didn't report a word about the Dementors attacking you.  Someone's told them to keep that quiet.  That should've been a really big story, out-of-control Dementors.  They haven't even reported that you broke the International Statute of Secrecy.  We thought they would, it would tie in so well with this image of you as some stupid show-off.  We think they're biding their time until you're expelled, then they're really going to go to town- I mean, _if_ you're expelled, obviously," she added hurriedly, looking slightly horrorstruck.  "You really shouldn't be, not if they abide by their own laws, there's no case against you."  

        Harry had an oddly closed look at the mention of the hearing.  Ginny was about to open her mouth to change the subject to Quidditch (works every time) when they all heard footsteps coming up the staircase.

        Fred and George immediately leapt up and Apparated away, no doubt to avoid whoever the person may be.  Unless it was Sirius or Tonks, they had a slim chance of not getting told off by them.  The door opened to reveal none other than Mrs. Weasley.

        "The meeting's over, you can come down and have dinner now.  Everyone's dying to see you, Harry," Ginny's mum announced, flashing Harry a special smile.  He grinned awkwardly.  "…and who's left all those Dungbombs outside the kitchen door?" Ginny almost jumped.

        "Crookshanks," she lied smoothly from her position on Ron's bed.  Harry, Ron and Hermione turned to look at her but kept their mouths shut.  "He loves playing with them."

        "Oh.  I thought it might have been Kreacher, he keeps doing odd things like that," her mum said frowning.  "Now don't forget to keep your voices down in the hall."  Her mother looked over at her and raised her eyebrows questioningly.  "Ginny, your hands are filthy, what have you been doing?  Go and wash them before dinner, please."  Ginny made a face behind her mum's back at the three and walked behind her as they left.  She heard the door shut behind her and sighed, changing course to the nearest bathroom.  

        Hermione and Ginny shared one; it was decked out in green and light gray tiles.  Once, Ginny had jokingly remarked to Hermione that this is what it must feel like to be in a Slytherin bathroom.  However, she felt quite sure that the bathrooms in Slytherin House didn't have nearly this much dirt and grime in it.  One look at Malfoy and she knew that Slytherins took their appearance rather seriously; he had so much gel on his head that she marveled at how he kept it up.  She sighed and turned the tap.  Letting it run for a few seconds to rid the water of brown, she looked in the mirror.  

        Ginny scowled.  Her hair looked so _ratty_ down, what was she thinking?  She quickly popped open the medicine cabinet built into the mirror (an ingenious invention of Muggles she thought) and took out her hairbrush.  It took quite a few hard strokes to get the tangles out, at the end of which she ended up looking worse than before.  She scowled deeper and picked up a small clip, bringing up half her hair and securing it firmly.  

        "Better," she muttered, closing the mirror and admiring the finished product.  The water by now was a clear crystal hue, so she scrubbed hard at her palms.  Magic water cleans much faster than Muggle; her hands were their usual color within seconds.  She dried them off on a green towel and started to walk down the hallway.

        "FILTH! BY-PRODUCTS OF DIRT AND VILENESS!  HALF-BREEDS, MUTANTS, FREAKS, BEGONE FROM THIS PLACE! HOW DARE YOU BEFOUL THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS-"

        Someone had set off Mrs. Black again.  Ginny sighed, shaking her head, and trotted down the stairs to the dining room, where the Order was settled for dinner.

--

Okay, now the Author's notes…

        I'd like to thank my baby sister Libby for helping me polish up a few places ("you need to make more fun of Harry there!") and giving me advice.  Thanks to ALL the reviewers, you have no idea how much I appreciated those reviews! 8 in one day! Not even! I really hope you'll continue to do this- maybe this will be one of my most successful fics ever. It WILL be very long…

        The next chapter will be following the chapter 'Order of the Phoenix' in the real book, so follow that one for Chapter Three. :) I'll try to speed up the story a little too if you want to get them to Hogwarts- give me suggestions in the review I will definitely consider them!

-Red


	3. Still Too Young

**Disclaimer: **Excerpts from the real Order of the Phoenix have been taken to make these scenes right.  Please don't sue me, I'm just a poor obsessed fan! 

---     

        Ginny was instantly greeted with the friendly face of her eldest brother Bill.  "Bill!" she shrieked, completely forgetting her mum's repeated warnings to keep her voice down.  He looked up from the rolls of parchment on the table and his face broke into a wide grin as she flew into his arms for a hug.

        "Gin!  Good to see you," Bill greeted her, kissing the top of her head.  He held her at arms length looking her up and down.  "Hmmm I dunno, you're looking much too skinny…" Ginny giggled.  "Mum!  This girl needs mince meat, and fast!" Mrs. Weasley, dusting off a cabinet on the other side of the room, looked up.

        "Now really Bill…"

        "I promise I've been eating," Ginny said solemnly, making Bill laugh.  At Bill's elbow, she could see some parchment flattened out on the table's surface.  She stopped mid-giggle and frowned, diverting her gaze to it.  Bill noticed immediately and slapped his hand on it.

        "Nothing doing Ginny, this is -" he began warningly.  She sighed and rolled her eyes.

        "Top secret, confidential, for the eyes of the Order only.  Got it."  She stuck her tongue out at him teasingly and sat on an unoccupied chair next to what looked like a pile of rags.  Ginny knew better though; Mundungus Fletcher never did like fancy clothes much.  Besides, with her mum now heavily on his case it paid off to be as inconspicuous as possible.  Ginny tapped her lucky four leaf clover ring on the table in boredom.  Charlie had gotten it for her on an excursion in Ireland; the smooth silver surface of the leaf reflected little lights wherever she flashed it.  She looked down at it.  Her brother and father were reflected upside down in it, talking quietly about whatever that parchment was.  

        The door opened and Sirius walked in with Harry at his side, looking distinctly put out about something.  Behind her, Ginny heard her mum clear her throat impatiently.  Bill and Mr. Weasley's head popped up at the sound.  Her dad leapt up and hastily rushed forwards to shake Harry's hand; Ginny hide a small smile at her father's behavior.  "Harry!  Good to see you!"

        "Journey all right?" Bill asked from his position at the table, simultaneously trying to get all the scrolls off.  "Mad-Eye didn't make you come via Greenland, then?" 

        "He tried," came Tonks' voice, making Ginny jump in her place.  She came hurrying out of the shadows behind her to help Bill and in doing so, knocked over a candle onto the one piece of parchment Bill had failed to pick up.  "Oh no- _sorry_-"  Ginny bit her lip and shook her head.  However fun Tonks may be, her coordination skills were completely non-existent.

        "Here dear," Ginny's mum said slightly, looking frustrated as she waved her wand and mended the parchment, stuffing into Bill's arms.  Bill looked ready to fall over what with all the scrolls in his hand, but everyone seemed too preoccupied with Harry being there to do anything about it.  Ginny got out of her seat and ran to help him as one teetered threateningly on the edges of his arms.

        "This sort of thing ought to be cleared away promptly at the end of meetings," her mum was saying as she bustled over to the dresser for plates.  As Ginny pushed a scroll back into its place, Bill winked at her and muttered '_Evanesco!'.  The scrolls immediately vanished.  _

        "Sit down, Harry," Sirius offered to his godson, pulling out a chair next to Mundungus.  Ginny walked over to the dresser to get out cutlery, keeping a sharp ear out for conversation meanwhile.  "You've met Mundungus, haven't you?" he continued.

        Ginny could hear Dung stirring awake behind her as she removed the knives from their drawer.  "Some'n say m'name?" he muttered.  "I 'gree with Sirius…" She giggled as she bumped the drawer closed with her hip. It was a rare occasion when Dung didn't agree with Sirius, and apparently slumber wasn't going to stop him either.  

        She counted knives deftly in her hands, listening to her mother telling off Mundungus for what seemed like the millionth time while he stumbled in his attempts to apologize to Harry for taking off the night he was attacked.  Harry answered everything with short sentences, making it impossible for Ginny to really understand what was going on.  Humming a little, she starting counting spoons.  10, 11, 12…

        "What can I do?" an enthusiastic Tonks interrupted Ginny's eavesdropping.  

        "Er- no, it's all right Tonks, you have a rest too, you've done enough today…"  Ginny giggled at her mother's weak attempts.

        "No, no I want to help!" Tonks countered eagerly, and as she ran over to help Ginny with the cutlery she heard a chair crash on the floor.

        "Tonks-" Ginny began, giggling helplessly.  Tonks looked behind them at the fallen chair.

        "Oh.  Oops.  We'll just pretend Sirius got frisky then eh?" she said, hurriedly grabbing a handful of forks.  

        "Here," Ginny offered, holding out her arms for the forks.  Tonks dropped them in her grip carefully, grabbed a tray of goblets and they began setting them up all around the table.  

        "Reckon old Dung needs an extra napkin?" Tonks asked Ginny, holding up a lacy napkin from the pile set on the table.  Ginny laughed.

        "Probably," she replied, looking over at the very grimy man.  

        "Fred- George – NO, JUST CARRY THEM!" Mrs. Weasley's shriek echoed around the kitchen, causing Tonks to drop the knife she was holding and have it land on Ginny's shoe.

        "Ouch," Ginny gasped, giggling as Tonks fumbled around for a spell to fix it.

        Tonks mended up her stabbed toe in no time.  They both whirled around to see a furious Mrs. Weasley fuming at two red faced and cowering twin boys.  "FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!  THERE WAS NO NEED-"

        "There's _always_ a need in their books," Ginny mumbled to Tonks, who grinned.  

        "-YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!" her mum finished, heaving as though she had run a mile.  

        "We were just trying to save a bit of time!" Fred defended, running forward to fix what looked like a similar situation between Tonks' knife and Ginny's toe, except that this was the bread knife in the table.  "Sorry Sirius mate- didn't mean to-"

        For the first time since Harry had arrived, everyone was laughing.  Everyone except, of course, Mrs. Weasley and her husband (who looked very much like he wanted to chuckle along).  

        Mrs. Weasley was raging on at the twins.  "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet!"  Behind her, Ginny saw Bill grin and Apparate to the opposite side of the room.  She and Tonks exchanged a glance and looked away; the temptation to laugh was too great.  "-Charlie didn't charm everything he met!  Percy-"  Practically the entire room froze.  Ginny gripped the napkin she was holding with astonishingly frightening strength as Tonks took in a sharp breath next to her.

        "Let's eat," Bill intervened to Ginny's relief.  

        Dinner was, as usual, a friendly and relaxed affair.  Ginny and Tonks took seats opposite Harry and Sirius, with Hermione joining them shortly after.  It looked as though she had been feasting on her nails; the ends were almost at their tether.  Ginny had tried to find out why but Tonks interrupted by morphing her nose into a hooked one not unlike Snape's.  After that, the three girls found it hard to take anything seriously.  

        As Tonks transformed her nose into the pointed Malfoy variety, Ginny looked down and saw Crookshanks' wide yellow eyes peering at her from underneath the dresser.  He had been down there for at least half the day…she couldn't imagine that'd be very comfortable.  "Excuse me," she said to the giggling Hermione and Tonks, sliding out of her seat and going to kneel next to the dresser.  "Crook," she whispered, putting her head near the floor.  "You going to come out there or do I need to lure you out?"  The cat blinked.  Ginny sighed.  "Well fine, we'll do this the hard way…" 

        Ginny hoisted herself up off the floor and entered the kitchen.  She looked around for something to get him out without making a mess, which narrowed her choices down considerably.  At last, her eyes fell upon a bag of Butterbeer corks, perfect for rolling.  Grinning, she picked them up and went back to the dining room and the dresser.  "Come on," she coaxed, rolling a cork along the carpet.  The cat's eyes followed it interestedly, before slinking out and darting after it.  "That's a good boy," Ginny said happily, rolling another one for him.  She was full, warm and happy…life was pretty good.  

        Until someone brought up a most unwelcome subject.

        "-I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort," Sirius said, pushing himself away from the table and looking at Harry intently.  Ginny felt her insides freeze.  Above her, at the head of the table, Lupin was setting his goblet back on the table with an apprehensive look on his face.

        "I did!" Harry replied irritably, not looking as though he had noticed the name at all.  "I asked Ron and Hermione but they said we're not allowed in the Order-" Ron winced in his seat at the table, and Ginny had the feeling he'd rather stay out of this.

        "And they're quite right," Ginny's mum interrupted.  "You're too young."  

        Ginny scowled.  Although the sentence wasn't directed at her, it hit her where it hurt.  That was all she had heard for countless years: "You're too young" or "Maybe when you're older" or "You're too young to understand".  Did they even try to see if they could handle it?

        "Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" Sirius replied smoothly, looking at the tense Mrs. Weasley calmly.  "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month, he's got the right to know what's been happen-"

        "Hang on!" George cut in looking angry.  

        "How come Harry gets his questions answered?" Fred asked furiously.  

        "A fair question," Ginny muttered, stroking Crookshanks.  She looked at Sirius and Mrs. Weasley in anticipation for their answer as Fred and George continued to rant.

        "It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's doing," said Sirius, for the first time not showing fervent agreement with his fellow mischief makers.  "That's your parent's decision.  Harry on the other hand…"

        "It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!" Mrs. Weasley exploded.  Ginny's mouth dropped open a tiny bit.  This couldn't be good…her mum's usually jolly face had twisted into that of pure indignation.  "You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said I suppose?"

        "Which bit?"

        "The bit about not telling more than he _needs to know," she replied, looking over at Harry anxiously._

        "I don't intend to tell him more than he _needs to know Molly," Sirius said heatedly.  "But as he was the one who saw Voldemort come back he has more right than most to-" Ginny shivered and closed her mouth at the name._

        "He's not a member of the Order of the Phoenix!" her mum countered angrily.  "He's only fifteen and-"

        "And he's dealt with as much as most in the Order, and more than some," Sirius interrupted.  Neither looked very keen to let the other finish their sentences.

        "No one's denying what he's done!  But he's still-" _Don't say kid Mum, Ginny willed her mother in her head__, anything but that.  _

        "He's not a child!"

        "He's not an adult either!  He's not James Sirius!"  

        "I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks Molly," Sirius replied icily.  Ginny brought Crookshanks to sit in her lap to warm herself up.  She was shivering and it wasn't even cold.  

        "I'm not sure you are!  Sometimes, the way you talk about him, it's as though you think you've got your best friend back!" Mrs. Weasley said trembling with suppressed anger.  

        "What's wrong with that?" interjected Harry, speaking up for the first time since the row began.  

        "What's wrong Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you may look like him," Mrs. Weasley replied, not taking her eyes off of Harry's irritated godfather.  "You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!"

        Ginny didn't dare move for fear they'd send her away..  It was horrible to see them row like this, but she was getting more information of it than anything she had heard all summer.  It was like watching a car accident…you want to look away but you can't.

        She snapped back to attention with the sound of Lupin's voice.  "Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry.  Sirius, sit _down._"  

        _Damn, _Ginny thought bitterly.  She had missed an entire chunk…she'd ask Fred and George later.   

        "I think Harry ought to be allowed a say in this.  He's old enough to decide for himself," Lupin said firmly.  Ginny was pretty sure she knew what Harry was going to decide.

        "I want to know what's been going on," he said immediately, proving her right.  However when Ginny looked at her mum's face she felt her inside crumble; she looked so crushed.

        "Very well," Mrs. Weasley said quietly.  "Ginny- Ron – Hermione – Fred- George – I want you out of the kitchen, now."  Ginny widened her eyes in disbelief.

        "Mum, I want to hear!" she shrieked from her position on the carpet.  She found to her surprise that she wasn't the only one who voiced their frustration at this.

        "We're of age!" Fred and George had roared simultaneously.  

        "If Harry's allowed why can't I?" Ron bellowed.

        "NO!" their mother yelled, louder than all of them combined.  She stood up looking incredibly angry, but that was nothing next to the rage bottling up inside of Ginny.  Did she really think they were that incompetent??  She was only a year younger than Harry!  "I absolutely forbid-"

        Her father opened her mouth and for one glorious second, Ginny thought he was going to let them all stay.  "Molly, you can't stop Fred and George," he said.  "They _are of age."  _

        "They're still at school!" his wife protested, waving her arm at them.  They scowled in unison, crossing their arms.

        "But they're legally adults now," he replied wearily.  Mrs. Weasley looked positively livid.  

        "I- oh all right then, Fred and George can stay, but Ron-" 

        Ron spluttered.  "Harry'll tell me and Hermione everything you say anyway!" he exploded angrily.  Ginny felt a small beam of pride inside of her for her brother; he hardly ever stood up to their formidable mother.  "Won't- won't you?" he added to Harry, looking unsure of what he had just so vehemently declared.

        "Course I will," Harry said after a second, grinning slightly.  Ginny's heart soared; she could stay!  She could-

        "Fine!" her mother shouted, a huge smile bursting across Ginny's face.  "Fine!  Ginny-" she looked up, feeling the smile ebb away.  "BED!" 

        "WHAT?!?" she exploded, leaping up and sending Crookshanks flying.  "But that's not bloody fair!"

        "That's enough Ginny!" her mother cut in sharply, walking over to her and grabbing her hand.  Ginny dug her heels into the carpet, not caring how stupid she looked.  

        "I want to stay!  Ron's only a year older than me anyway, and it's not like I haven't- ouch Mum!"  Mrs. Weasley's nails dug into her hand a little, making Ginny scowl with pain.  "Get OFF me Mum let me go back!"  Her mother's grip was far too strong for Ginny's petite frame; she knew that all her hope of staying was now lost.  "FINE!" she bellowed, ripping her hand out of her mother's and stomping up the steps.  

        "Go to BED Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley yelled at her, ushering her to go faster.

        "I AM!  But if you think that I won't find out what's going on in there you are MISTAKEN!" Ginny ranted angrily, purposefully getting her hand caught on Mrs. Black's curtains and ripping them open.

        "OH what did you do that for?" her mum said exasperatedly, trying to close them shut.

        "FREAKS! MUDBLOODS AND TRAITORS, IF I COULD WALK ALL YOU TRAITOR BRATS WOULD-"

        "I can't believe you're only sending _me away!" Ginny continued, grinning with satisfaction as her mother struggled to close the curtains behind her.  _

        "It's- for – the best!" her mum spluttered behind her as she struggled to close the curtains.  Ginny turned around and leaned on the banister, watching the losing battle.  She was _angry _now, and anyone who knows the Weasley temper knows well enough just how terrible it can be.  

        "The _best?!?_" Ginny said incredulously.  "I'm going to go down to breakfast tomorrow morning and _everyone_ will know what's going on except for me!" 

        "BEFOULING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS-"

        "Here Molly, let me help you."  Ginny looked on Lupin with narrowed eyes as he heaved his weight on the curtains and successfully let them shut.  

        "Ginny," Mrs. Weasley panted after giving Lupin a grateful smile, "_go to bed_!" 

        "I can't believe this," Ginny muttered, wrenching the clip out of her hair and chewing on a strand morosely.  Lupin looked up at her, stopping in his tracks halfway down the stairs, and sighed.  

        "Ginny," he started, but Ginny cut him off.

        "I know, I know, it's 'all for the best'.  'You're too young'.  Fine.  We'll see how much I can handle by the end of this- I'm not 11 anymore!" she said coldly, looking angrily at her mum in particular.  With that, she turned on her heel and stomped back up the stairs, walking to her room and slamming the door behind her.

        Maybe she was being a tad childish about the whole thing, Ginny thought as she collapsed on her bed.  Maybe they were right, and she was still wrong.  But then again, she reasoned as she clenched her fists, Ron was still down there while she was stuck up here, in her dingy little pisshole of a room.  Where's the justice in that?  She turned around onto her stomach and curled up, clutching the red bunch of hair in her hand.  They all still thought she was naïve, little innocent Ginny.  Not that the nickname helped any- 'Ginny' sounded so juvenile and happy-go-lucky.  However, Ginny was unwilling to use her real name; 'Virginia' made her sound like a Victorian schoolmarm or something.

        She breathed slowly in and out, carefully unclenching her fists.  It wouldn't do to get all riled up over this-

        She'd just get it out of Hermione when she came up.

--

        But when Hermione came up, she was unwilling to let slip any information.  "Come _on Hermione," Ginny pleaded, sitting upright and looking her friend in the eye.  "You __know I should know this too!"_

        "I don't even know if _I_ should know it Ginny," she sighed, crawling under the covers and snuggling up to the pillow.

        "Please?" Ginny begged, giving Hermione her best puppy-eyes.  Hermione just sighed again, shook her head, and turned the other way towards the wall.

        Ginny sat on her bed fuming.  There went her last resort.  She sighed and looked around, as if looking for the answers there.  Ron would be talking to Harry about it right now- wait.  That was it!

        Without another thought she leapt out of bed and hurried silently to the door.  She opened it carefully and tiptoed her way down the corridor, making her way to Harry and Ron's room.  They were bound to be talking about it…

        Breathlessly, she pressed her ear to the door.  A loud 'OUCH!' came from behind the walls, and she knew it belonged to Ron.  The twins had undoubtedly tried to Apparate in the dark again…last time, George had landed up on Ginny's head.  

        "Keep your voice down, Ron, or Mum'll be back up here," one of the twins said, and Ginny grinned.  If only they knew she was standing out there now…

        "You two just Apparated on my knees!" Ron was protesting angrily.

        "Yeah well, it's harder in the dark."

        Ginny listened as the bedsprings groaned, meaning that the twins had made themselves comfortable.  "So, got there yet?" asked one of the twins excitedly.

        "The weapon Smifrus menfened??" Harry replied quietly, making Ginny's blood race with excitement. She hadn't heard it all too well, but she did hear one thing clearly; a weapon!  This was new…

        "Let slip more like.  We didn't hear about that on the mfold rmextendables did we?"  one of the twins said.

        "What d'you reckon fit mis?" Harry asked him.  Ginny pressed her ear harder to the door; it was muffled.

        "Could be anything," the twin replied.

        "Buff there camft anyfing worse than the Adtria Kedvaffra curf, can fere?  Fhat's worse fan death?"  Ginny frowned.  They were getting quieter by the second!  What she would do for an Extendable Ear! 

        The next few sentences were so quiet it was near impossible for Ginny to get anything intelligible out of them.  Soon though, they lost their cautiousness and got louder.

        "Bet it is!" a twin said excitedly, waking Ginny from her bored stupor against the door.  "That's where he hid the Philosopher's Phone!"  _Bet what is?? Ginny thought wildly, cursing them all mentally for not speaking up before._

        "A weapon's going to be a lot bigger than the Phone though," Ron said slowly.

        "Not necessarily," a twin interjected.  Ginny furrowed her brows in curiosity.  Wouldn't a weapon have to be something massive, something so impressive the opposing side would take one look and run?

        "Yeah, size is no guarantee of power.  Look at Ginny," the other twin offered.  Ginny felt a small grin come on her face; she could always count on the twins to back her up.

        "What d'you mean?" Harry asked, sounding clueless as Ginny was used to now.

        "You've never been on the receiving end of one of her Bat-Bogey hexes have you?" the twin replied, and Ginny felt a small surge of pride go through her.  Her Hexes _were quite good…_

        Behind her, she suddenly heard the sounds of footsteps.  Her eyes widened and she fled away from the door as if it electrocuted her and pressed herself against a wall, not daring to breathe.  Mrs. Weasley came to the top of the stairs, squinted in the darkness, and walked carefully over to the door Ginny had been listening to a moment earlier.  Her foot creaked the floorboards.  Ginny took the opportunity to run silently from her position by the wall, slide into her room and bolt the door behind her, breathing fast.  

        Hermione was curled up on her side towards the wall still.  Ginny looked at her for a couple seconds to make sure she was sleeping, before cautiously getting into her own bed.  It only took a couple minutes for her to get to sleep, visions of magical weapons dancing in her head.

--

        The next day dawned with yet another room cleaning; Ginny was starting to get dizzy from all the cleaning fumes.  This room was infested with Doxys, nasty little black furry buggers that flew at your face.  Harry was doing pretty well for his first day cleaning, but Ginny hardly noticed.  She had been doing this all summer, so it was nothing new to her…besides, the more people there were the faster she could take a shower.  

        The next few days passed quickly.  Ginny was counting down the days to September 1, when she could talk to her school friends again.  Especially Michael.  The poor guy thought she was in Romania tending to the dragons, when really she was maybe a block away from him.

        In all the days leading up to Harry's hearing, all the older kids exchanged many significant glances.  Ginny feigned frustration at the blatant secrecy, but kept the smug little secret inside of her; _she knew.  _Knowing she had an upper hand with this,it was almost better than being in on their conversations about that explosive night. 

        But Ginny still felt the sting of 'You're too young' echoing in her ears, and it hurt more than she'd like to admit.


	4. Out of the Must

**A/N: **I just want to thank everyone for the reviews- and you know what? I will. At the end of this chapter. So that takes care of that! This is a VERY long chapter, so rejoice, and be glad.

**Disclaimer: **excerpts from the original 'Order of the Phoenix' have been taken for this chapter, and all credit for them goes to JK Rowling, whose imagination has sparked all these fics…some 80,000 last I heard. :)

**-*-**

        When Ginny woke up on the twelfth of August, a week or so since Harry's arrival, it was quieter than it had been for months.  Curious, she yawned and slipped her legs over the side of her bed, pulling down her oversized green t-shirt.  Hermione wasn't sleeping, but Ginny didn't find that too strange; Hermione always got up before her.  She went to her dresser, grabbed some black shorts and pulled them on, her vision still blurred by the leftovers of sleep.  Pushing some loose hair out of her eyes, she walked out into the hallway and quietly made her way down the stairs, the portraits on the wall giving her evil looks as she passed them.  

        "Mum?" she called once she had reached the bottom.  

        "Ginny, come in here for some breakfast love," her mother replied through the door of the kitchen.  Ginny couldn't help but feel relieved at the sign of life in the silent house.  She pushed open the swinging door and happily drank in the kitchen with her amber eyes.  Ron and Hermione were sitting at the table already, sharing a rack of toast and reading the _Daily Prophet together intently.  Ginny grinned as she realized who the pair reminded her of; her mum and dad on Sunday mornings.  She impishly came up behind Ron and snatched a piece of toast off the rack and bit it happily._

        "Oy!" Ron said annoyed, but he smiled slightly at the sight of her in a good mood.  Ginny had been in a sulky mood since they had their exclusive talk, and had been sure to let them all know it.  

        "Morning Ginny," Hermione greeted her, flicking her eyes upward for an indulgent second before returning to the _Daily Prophet.  _

        "Morning," Ginny replied, twirling her way to the fridge, humming a little.  Mrs. Weasley looked at her with mild astonishment on her plump features.

        "What's got you dancing about?" her mum demanded, now in the process of putting away the orange juice.

        Ginny grabbed it from her deftly and poured it into a nearby glass smiling mysteriously.  "Back to school soon I suppose.  Sick of this place."  From their place at the table, Ron and Hermione exchanged amused glances; they made Ginny almost spit up her drink again in disgust.

        "Well then why don't you direct your energy towards something more useful?" Mrs. Weasley snapped back irritably.  Clearly, it hadn't been a very good morning so far.  Ginny stuck her tongue out at her mother's back as the short figure moved to the dining room door and popped her head in.  "Sirius, have you talked to Alastor about that Boggart yet?"  Ginny perched herself on the countertop chewing on her toast as she listened for the reply.

        "No- he hasn't been here since he brought Harry," Sirius' tired voice answered her.  Mrs. Weasley sighed impatiently and came back in the kitchen, going back to her pan scrubbing.  Ginny however, had the smallest of a spark in her brain…a ghost an idea…dare she do it?  

        It only took a second for her to decide. 

        "I'll be upstairs changing- no one walk in on me please," she added, gulping down the rest of her toast, hopping off the countertop and walking briskly from the room.  Behind her she hard Ron say, 'Blimey she's a firecracker today, eh?'

--

        The writing desk was vibrating with the consistency of an automobile motor as Ginny looked at it apprehensively.  This idea was stupid, it was reckless it was- ridiculous.  A twist of a grin came across her lips as she gripped her wand very tightly, having found it in the depths of her trunk.  She would get reported for this, she had no doubt, but wouldn't it be worth it when she saw their impressed faces? "Well done Gin," she could imagine them saying proudly.  "Getting rid of a Boggart by yourself- I couldn't have done that when I was your age."  With these fantasies in mind, Ginny took a deep breath and clicked the door of the desk open.  

        _How hard can it be?_ Ginny told herself in a slight panic as the Boggart began to take form..  _You defeated a Boggart last year in DADA remember?...with the rest of the class…and you never did get a crack at it…but still…just a Boggart…_

        What came out of it was far worse than she had anticipated; her wand fell out of her clammy hands and fell onto the hardwood floor.  "Tom," she whispered, backing up against the closed door.  The Slytherin robe clad teenager loomed over her, smirking and holding something Ginny hadn't seen for years- a small black diary.  

        Desperately telling herself 'it's just a Boggart, it's just a Boggart', she dropped to the floor to pick up her wand.  Boggart Tom sneered and floated over, flipping through the pages lazily.  

        "Hello Ginny," it said.  Ginny froze in the process of grasping her wand.

        "You're not real," she said loudly, more to convince herself than anything.  

        "What makes you say that? I look like Tom…I sound like Tom…and I feel like Tom don't I?" Boggart Tom said softly, closing the diary and looking at her intently; his piercing green eyes were so familiar to her, she saw them before, in the Chamber…with the snake…and blood…so much blood…

        Two seconds later and Ginny was out in the hallway, running to her room as fast as her legs could take her.

--

        She lay face down on her bed, red hair fanning out over the pillow.  Deep breath in…deep breath out…it was just a Boggart… Ginny shakily turned over and watched the cracks in her ceiling move as she gently let go of her wand, letting it roll off the bed and onto the floor.  The déjà vu made her head spin; she had to close her eyes to rid the images from her memory.  Humiliated tears grazed her inner eyelids.  She was so stupid, and they were right, she _was_ too young…couldn't even face her bloody past…that's all Harry does everyday…and Dumbledore…hell, even _Ron_ was more mature than her! No wonder they had sent her away from the dinner table…

        Brushing away the tears that coated her cheeks, she sat up and breathed in slowly.  She was being so selfish, holed up blubbering in her room when- what was going on today anyway?  Ginny dabbed at her eyes with the sheets as she reached for her day by day calendar.  The day 'August 12' was blinking bright blue as she looked at it.  There was a small footnote next to it: 'Harry's Hearing'.  

        Oh God.  No wonder everyone was so serious!  And here she was crying her eyes out over something that didn't even exist…she breathed out determinedly and, after minimal consideration, placed her wand in her nightstand drawer.  She didn't need it right now.  There were more important things to do, and although she was too young, she'd do them the best she could.  Who knows what this year would bring; maybe she'd get older with it.

--

        Forty minutes later, a bright and cheery smile had been pasted on her face as she trotted down the stairs.  As she entered the kitchen, she met the amused expression of her older brother Ron.  He and Hermione were now in the midst of a game of Exploding Snap with the twins, who looked up and winked at her simultaneously before returning to their hand.  "That's the longest it's ever taken you to get changed Gin," Ron said.  He got up and passed her as Ginny scowled.  "Must use the loo. Be back in a tick."

        "Well I took a shower too," she called after him, sitting down in his vacated seat.  She was all too aware that her oldest pair of jeans and a red t-shirt wouldn't convince anyone of an hour long decision.  

        "Trying to look nice for Harry when he comes back eh?" George teased, receiving a sharp blow on the head from his younger sister as a result.

        "Oh stop with that," Hermione said wearily, putting down her cards temporarily.  "You know she's over him and onto Michael!"

        "Yes thank you Hermione," Ginny said, glaring at her older brothers.

        "We know, we know…" Fred chuckled as he shuffled his Snap cards idly.  "Tall bloke, brown hair, ego out to here?" He puffed up his cheeks and held his hands out as far as they could go.  Ginny sighed in mock exasperation as her brothers cracked up in laughter.

        "You'd better be taking the mickey," she said playfully as she grabbed Ron's Snap cards.  

        The twins grinned happily as she did so; Ginny was a much better card opponent than Ron, chess champion or not.  She was grateful that at least _they still believed in her.  The twins were quickly becoming her favorite brothers, although to be fair, they had an advantage over the ever absent Bill.  _

        A few rounds of Snap, the return of Ron and peals of laughter later, there came a soft knock on the front door.  Ginny's stomach did flip flops as Ron and Hermione stood up so fast they almost knocked the table over.  Fred and George looked at each other apprehensively and then at the door as Sirius came charging out of the dining room, looking frazzled.  

        "Who is it? What's going on?" he said hurriedly, absently picking up a chair he had knocked over. Ginny could see the family resemblance between him and Tonks at this.  

        "I think Arthur's back," Mrs. Weasley breathed anxiously, twisting her towel around her hand.  "I'll just go get it shall I?"  She ran off to the hallway with Sirius at her heels.  Ginny looked at her twin brothers over her hand of cards; if Harry got expelled, she knew there would be an abundance of large canaries in the Ministry the next morning.  

        Harry came into view, looking slightly shell-shocked.  Mr. Weasley stood behind him with his hand on his shoulder, and Mrs. Weasley was looking over.  Sirius came striding into the kitchen, a small smile on his face.  Ginny echoed it as she realized that it must be good news…

        "Cleared," Harry said weakly, sitting down in a chair.  Hermione sighed with relief and held a hand to her eyes as Ron whooped.  Ginny smiled happily and the twins threw their cards on the table and went to go shake Harry's hand ecstatically.

        "We need our Seeker don't we?"

        "Good job outwitting the fat cats."

        Suddenly, George grabbed Ginny by the hand and started doing some sort of a song and dance: "He got off, he got off, he got off, he got off, he got off…"

        Ginny squealed as Fred snatched her other hand and within instants they had her in a circle, chanting maniacally.  

        _My brothers are mad, _she thought fondly…but before she knew it, she was chanting along with them.  They didn't stop until Mrs. Weasley finally had enough and bellowed, "SHUT UP!!!"

--

        There was a much more relaxed, happy atmosphere in the house after Harry was cleared.  Although Ginny was grateful for the change, she still couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts; it was nothing short of awful being stuck in the same dingy house with the same people for months on end.  Hogwarts was a castle on vast grounds, the exact opposite of the Order of the Phoenix headquarters.  Ginny couldn't wait to just let herself go and run all over the grass, maybe even fly over it…

        Flying lessons had stopped in her second year.  She knew it was just to give them a taste of what it was like, but she found herself craving the air whipping against her hair as she flew.  When she was little, she would take out a broom and fly it every day after her brothers had gone in for supper.  They never knew, and that kind of made it one of Ginny's secrets from her brothers; she didn't have many of those.  By watching them practice, she picked up how to play Quidditch.  Her favorite position had to be Chaser, although Seeker looked like a lot of fun.  The only person she had ever told of these things was Hermione.

        Ginny lay stomach first on her bed, picking at the lint on the covers and thinking longingly of fresh air.  Her thoughts were interrupted by a large owl carrying two thick envelopes in his beak.  Ginny jumped up in alarm as it flew next to her and hooted, dropping its cargo.  She stroked its head and picked up an envelope: **Miss Hermione Granger, ****12 Grimmauld Place****, The Bedroom with Miss Weasley, ****London****. Squealing in delight she picked up the other one; the book lists were here!**

        Excitedly she turned it over and grinned happily at the address: **Miss Virginia Weasley, ****12 Grimmauld Place****, The Bedroom Next to the Bathroom, ****London****.   "Well that's poetic," she murmured, but she couldn't keep herself from smiling.  **

        Hermione burst into the room.  "I just saw a Hogwarts owl- is there one for me?" Ginny nodded and handed it to her, slipping her own list out of its pouch.  She walked to the door as Hermione ripped it open enthusiastically and yelled, "Mum the lists are here!"

        "Very good dear!" came the faint reply, and Ginny stuck her head back in.  

        "That takes care of that," she said to Hermione, but Hermione didn't hear her for shrieking.

        "Oh my gosh!  Look!  Look what came with mine!!" she squealed, jumping up and down on her bed in excitement.  Ginny had never seen Hermione like this, so she cautiously walked over to see what had her so lively.

        In Hermione's hand lay a little pin that Ginny recognized from the days when Bill, Percy and Charlie had worn it: it was small, red and gold with the letter 'P' on it.  She couldn't say she was surprised though, seeing as Hermione was the most brilliant mind in their house, and also someone who abided by the rules…for the most part anyway.

        "Congratulations!" she said, giving her friend a hug.  Hermione returned it, looking at her pin happily. 

        "Mum and Dad will be so pleased," she said ecstatically, bouncing off the bed.  "I have to go see Harry and Ron; if I got one then I'm almost positive Harry got the other."  

        Ginny laughed.  "You're probably right- who would make Ron a prefect?"

--

         It was an embarrassed Ginny who entered the dining room that evening.  Draped on the rafters was a huge scarlet banner her mum had made, reading 'CONGRATULATIONS RON AND HERMIONE- NEW PREFECTS'.  Hermione, who came in behind her and the twins, was looking slightly guilty but glowing at the decorations.  Ginny knew that she had worked for something like this ever since she had received her first Hogwarts letter.  

        "I thought we'd have a little party, not a sit-down dinner," Mrs. Weasley told her, Hermione, the twins, Ron and Harry as they walked in.  "Your father and Bill are on their way Ron, I've sent them both owls and they're thrilled!" Ginny heard George snort next to her, but she was happy about this; Bill was coming!

        She spotted Tonks sitting on a chair on the other side of the room and happily walked to her, Hermione behind her.  It was an unlikely friendship, Hermione and Tonks, but the two seemed to get along very well.  "Hallo," Ginny said, coming up to her.  Upon seeing her friend's new appearance she let out a laugh and gave her the thumbs up.  Tonks' hair was red and down to her waist, and to the casual observer it would appear that she was Ginny's older sister.  

        "Hi Ginny," she replied, waving.  "So you like the look eh?" Ginny laughed and nodded.  Tonks' gaze moved to Hermione, who was standing behind Ginny looking around the room.  "Congratulations Hermione!" Hermione jumped and beamed.

        "Thank you very much Tonks," she said grinning happily.  

        Ginny suddenly heard Moody talking to her mother from behind her.  "Drawing room…desk in the corner?  Yeah I see it…yeah it's a Boggart…want me to go up and get rid of it Molly?"  Ginny's insides jumped as a flash of Boggart Tom went through her mind, but she shook it off.  _It's a party, be happy for God's sakes! _She was about to ask Hermione if she had seen the cake her mum had baked when her father cleared his throat loudly.  

        "Well I think a toast is in order," he said, looking over at Ron and then to Hermione proudly.  Ginny and Tonks scrambled for a goblet of pumpkin juice as the rest raised their own into the air.  "To Ron and Hermione, the new Gryffindor prefects!"  Next to her, Hermione was practically shining as everyone gulped down their drinks; Ginny chugged her goblet quickly and went to the table to get more.  Tonks and Hermione followed.  They got in the forming queue behind Harry as Tonks chattered happily.

        "I was never a prefect myself.  My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities," she said cheerfully as she reached for the salad tongs.  

        "Like what?" Ginny asked curiously, whose arm snaked across Tonks' to get to the baked potatoes.  She saw Harry out of the corner of her eye next to Sirius, both of whom were listening to their conversation.  She turned to Tonks for the reply.

        "Like the ability to behave myself," Tonks said simply, grinning.  Ginny laughed as Hermione stifled her own laughter; the result was her choking on her Butterbeer.  Patting Hermione quite hard on the back, Ginny shifted her concentration to Sirius, who was debating between boiled or mashed potatoes.

        "What about you Sirius?" she asked as Hermione continued coughing.

        "No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James.  Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge," Sirius said, grinning fondly at these memories.  

        "I think Dumbledore might have hoped I would be able to exercise some control over my best friends," Lupin's somber voice added from behind Sirius; Ginny almost jumped from surprise.  "I need scarcely say that I failed dismally." Ginny grinned. 

        "Well they turned out all right didn't they?" she said, nodding her head towards Sirius.  

        He let out a bark of laughter.  "Me, all right? Yeah, I suppose if you count living in his demented mother's evil ridden house as a fugitive then yeah, I turned out fine."  His sarcasm was thick, and not even Ginny could ignore the undertone of bitterness that this statement coated.  Tonks cleared her throat.

        "Trout?"

--

        That night Ginny was way too excited for the next day's journey to Hogwarts that she couldn't bear to go to sleep.  Luckily for her, Hermione felt the same way.  Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, Lupin and Mad-Eye had left the party early for some secretive reason, and Ginny couldn't care less at the moment why.  She was going back to Hogwarts the _next morning_!! Hermione sat Indian style on her bed in flannel pyjamas, a book flipped open on her lap, but for once she wasn't reading it.  Ginny sat in a straddle split, stretching in what Hermione called 'unnatural twisty ways'.  

        "Can you believe we're going back?" she asked Hermione in an excited voice, bringing her hand to her right foot and grabbing it.  Hermione winced on her behalf before answering.

        "It seems like I just got off the train at King's Cross at the end of term," Hermione said, playing with the edges of the pages absently.  "I can't wait to see what Parvati and Lavender did over their summer…"

        Ginny raised an eyebrow.  From everything she had heard from Hermione about the 'Giggly Gossip Girls', she had no interest in any of their activities, let alone looked forward to hearing about them.  "Why?" 

        "Because at the end of last year they thought I was sleeping, right, when in fact I was listening to them exchange idiotic views on the blokes at our school."  Hermione took a moment to scowl before continuing.  "Anyway, they made a bet: last one to…you know…with a guy would have to-"

        Ginny interrupted, disbelief etched all over her freckled face.  "Are you joking?  They made a bet placed on sex?" 

        "No!" Hermione protested, flushing as Ginny started laughing.  "No shut up Ginny, come on!" Hermione's lips twitched as Ginny fell out of her split and proceeded to roll on the bed in hysterics.  One well aimed pillow soon brought Ginny out of her giggles.  

        "All right all right, I'm listening," Ginny said, getting up and hugging the pillow.  

        "Thank you.  As I was saying…" Hermione mock glared at Ginny, who merely stuck out her tongue cheekily before waiting for the story to be finished.  "…last one to make out with a guy would have to put their knickers in Colin Creevey's bed and then claim it as theirs in the morning."  Ginny gasped and then started laughing again and Hermione pursed her lips in disapproval.  The McGonagall-esque look soon was replaced with a look of grim satisfaction.  "I dearly want to know which one lost!" She looked at Ginny; that was all it took.  The two girls burst into raucous laughter at the imagery of Parvati or Lavender having to claim their underwear…from _Colin Creevey.  _

        "That's insane," Ginny gasped, clutching her sides.  "Practically Lovegood worthy!" Hermione's laughs subsided as a confused look came across her face.

        "What's 'Lovegood worthy'?" she asked curiously.  Ginny straightened up grinning.

        "Oh you haven't heard that expression?" she asked, tucking her legs under her.  Hermione shook her head.  "There's this girl in Ravenclaw, my year, and…well, she's completely insane.  Nice enough I guess, just nutty, you know?" Hermione shrugged, looking intrigued.

        "What's her name?"

        "Luna Lovegood. Most people call her Loony…" Ginny frowned at her own statement.  "Not exactly the nicest thing to do…I mean, she doesn't hurt anyone.  She'll just…well, believe anything if there's no proof of it. It's her trademark."  Hermione raised her eyebrows at this questioningly, so Ginny barreled on.  "She went around last year saying that Lupin was a Blast Ended Skrewt in disguise."

        "Ah."  Hermione bit her lip and then cleared her throat.  "What time is it?" 

        Ginny looked at the clock on her nightstand.  "2:00 in the morning."  The two girls exchanged sheepish grins.  "Reckon we should get some sleep?"

        "I'll try," Hermione replied as she turned off the light.  "But I can't guarantee anything."  

--

        The next morning, Ginny leapt out of bed at nine, only a couple hours before the train left.  For once, she was up before the sleep deprived Hermione; a noteworthy feat indeed.  Her trunk, neatly packed by Hermione the previous evening, lay at the bottom of her bed peacefully.  She ran to it and sat on it happily, contemplating how to get it out in the hallway and down the stairs.  Fred and George had always helped her with her trunk, seeing as she wasn't the most muscular of girls.  

        With this in mind she sprang up from her perch on the trunk and hurtled into the hallway, muffled sounds of Hermione getting up growing fainter as she sprinted to find them.  Her excitement was mounting as she ran; she could practically smell the train smoke now…

        WHAM.  Ginny gasped, winded, as something hard and metallic rammed into her side.  The next thing she knew, she was falling head first down flights of stairs, bashing her elbows and feet into the hard, cold marble.  

        "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!" She couldn't stop the bloodcurdling scream from coming out of her lips as she landed at the bottom of the stairs, hunched up in a little pile.  Two pewter cauldrons landed next to her, revolving on their bases before they came to a stop.  

        "Oh Christ- are you all right?"  Ginny opened one eye slightly and winced as she looked up at her twin brothers, who were looking uncharacteristically anxious and apologetic.

        "Holy fuck," she swore violently, bringing herself up slowly.

        "I know, I know, we're sorry!" George said, grabbing her under one elbow as Fred took the other.  "We were just levitating our cauldrons and-"

        "TRAITOR BRATS INFESTING THIS HOUSE OF GREAT GLORY-" came the bellowing voice of Mrs. Black's portrait.  Ginny smirked slightly as their faces went slack.

        "Mum'll hear that," Fred whispered hoarsely, trying to drag Ginny along to a seat faster now.  George cooperated by practically sprinting with his half of her as Fred panted to keep up.  

        "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?" In unison, Fred, George and Ginny all looked up to see their mother's furious face, standing at the kitchen door with her hands on her hips.  Mrs. Weasley gasped and ran forward to Ginny, taking her from the twins.

        "Oh Merlin's beard, what happened?" she asked Ginny worriedly, looking at the bruises blossoming on her daughter's small frame.

        "Fell down the stairs," Ginny replied, grimacing at the pain in her ribs.  Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips in fury as she turned to her sons; they visually cowered as their mum looked from the cauldrons at the bottom of the staircase to their apprehensive faces.

        "YOU IDIOTS!! JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE OF AGE DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN USE MAGIC FOR EVERY SINGLE LITTLE THING!" Mrs. Weasley exploded, taking out her wand and waving it absently at Ginny, mending the bruises in seconds.  Ginny relaxed and sighed happily, sitting down on a bench as she watched her mum rant at the twins.  _Bloody menaces, _she thought grinning.  

        "We know Mum, we were just-"

        "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU WERE DOING!  YOU COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS-"

        "FILTHY HALF-BRREDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS-" Mrs. Black added to the din. 

        "BECAUSE OF YOU WE MIGHT MISS THE TRAIN-" In the middle of her mum's rant, Ron came down the stairs looking confused.  Ginny waved him over to her.

        "Mum's gone mad I reckon," she muttered to him.  

        "Why do you say that?" Ron replied sarcastically.  Ginny punched him on the arm and laughed, picking up her bag that had appeared in the hallway (along with her trunk).   She grinned as she walked over to Lupin, who was comically holding a sign saying 'Frederick, George and Virginia Weasley'.

        "So you're our escort to King's Cross?" she asked him as Fred and George walked over, looking embarrassed.   

        "Yes," Lupin replied, putting away the sign with a grin.  "Arthur- your dad- will be taking Ron and Hermione, and Tonks and Mrs. Weasley will be with Harry."  

        "And we only get one escort?" Fred said with a mock hurt look on his face, recovering fast from his mum's explosion.  

        "Afraid so," Lupin said as he ushered them to the door.  "Alastor will bring your trunks, don't worry about them.  Is that your bag?" he asked Ginny, pointing to the small side bag she had slung over her shoulder and resting on her thigh.  She nodded.  "All right then- let's go."

        "What about-" Ginny began, but Lupin seemed to know what she was thinking.  

        "The others will catch up with us later," he said, opening the door and hurrying them outside.  

        Maybe it was just the fact that she hadn't been properly outside in weeks, but it was the most beautiful September 1st Ginny had ever seen.  As she looked at the perfect azure sky, Ginny knew she was truly going back…she had never been more grateful for school in her entire life.  She hated being holed up in that musty old house.  

        It took about twenty minutes to get to the station, and by the time they stepped through the platform everyone else was already there.  "Sorry we're a tad late," Lupin apologized, but Moody waved it away.

        "No trouble?" he asked.

        "Nothing," Lupin replied.  

        Moody looked around angrily.  "I'll still be reporting Sturgis to Dumbledore.  That's the second time he's not turned up in a week. Getting as unreliable as Mundungus," he growled, leaning on his cane.  

        "Cheers," Fred muttered under his breath sarcastically, heaving his trunk off of the cart.  Hermione, who had come to stand next to Ginny, gave him a reproachful look, but Ginny laughed.  Fred looked down at Ginny and sighed.  "Need a hand?" 

        "Yes please," she said happily, kissing him on the cheek.

        "Ack, did you have to do that woman?" Fred asked in mock disgust, but winking at her nonetheless and hefting her trunk onto the floor.  

        "Well look after yourselves," Lupin said, shaking everyone's hand.  Ginny grinned at him as he did so; he was another one of her new uncles, the sensible counterpart to Sirius.  Everyone seemed to be looking at Harry for some reason, and when Lupin reached him he gave him an extra thump on the shoulder.  

        "Yeah, keep your head down and your eyes peeled," Moody warned, shaking Harry's hand also.  "And don't forget, all of you- careful what you put in writing.  If in doubt, don't put it in a letter at all."  

        "It's been great meeting all of you," Tonks said, suddenly bringing Ginny and Hermione into a bone crushing hug.  "We'll see you soon I expect."  Ginny returned the hug, and to her horror felt the prickle of tears behind her eyelids.  Any letters she sent to Tonks would seem suspicious, so they were to be very limited.  She didn't know when she'd see her new friend again.  

        "Bye," Ginny whispered into Tonks' pink hair, who grinned and let her go.  Mrs. Weasley grabbed her randomly and hugged her tightly, as her Dad gave her a sort of sad little wave.  "Bye mum, dad," Ginny said as the whistle sounded.  She flashed her best smile at them both before dragging her trunk onto the train.  Ron, Hermione and Harry followed her into a random compartment, waving madly out of the window.  

        "See you at Christmas!" Ginny and Ron called, waving and bumping each other in their haste to hang out an open window.  Ginny saw Sirius in his dog form bouncing about madly next to the train and had to laugh at his crazy antics.

        Another minute and they were on their way.

--

**A/N: **I know, I said they'd be in school this chapter but there was so much I wanted in this one! I wrote the next one while I was grounded (the school ones are going to be GREAT, they're so much fun), and it'll be posted in a day.  Flesh it out a little, you know.  :D yes, I'm so cruel. Anyway, please click the little link, it's not a lot of trouble and these reviews make my day!  You want to make someone happy don't you?  


	5. Reunited

**Disclaimer: **YES!!! MWAH HA HA I OWN IT ALL!!!!!!!!...ok, I don't own any of these characters or settings, even some of this dialogue is hers. Grr. 

--

        "He shouldn't have come with us," Hermione said anxiously, peering out the window as if expecting to see something besides for countryside.  It took a minute for Ginny to register who she meant; Sirius.  

        "Oh lighten up," Ron said, echoing Ginny's thoughts exactly.  "He hasn't seen daylight for months, poor bloke."

        "Well, can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee," Fred interrupted, clapping his hands together and looking eager.  "See you later."  Ginny waved as they turned down the corridor and vanished.  

        She tapped her nails on her trunk, thinking of where her Gryffindor friends could be when Harry's voice interrupted her thoughts.  "Shall we go and find a compartment then?" he was asking Ron and Hermione.  Ginny noticed with a little surprise, that Ron and Hermione were looking very uncomfortable all of a sudden.  

        "Er-" Ron began, but Hermione cut him off.

        "We're – well – Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage," Hermione said, wringing her hands absently.  

        Harry's face fell, and although no one noticed, so did Ginny's.  She couldn't leave him all alone, because that would be flat out mean…but now she couldn't sit with her friends.  She sighed quietly and pushed that thought out of her head; she supposed would see them at the Feast later.

        "Oh. Right. Fine," Harry said, looking as though he were trying very hard not to explode again.  

        "I don't think we'll have to stay there all journey.  Our letters said we just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time."  Hermione tried to defend their position, looking at Harry anxiously.  Ginny looked at her nails; would they just wrap it up already?  If they didn't hurry, they wouldn't get a compartment at all.  She knew all too well what it was like to have to squish in with those she didn't even like…Slytherin fourth years are no more pleasant than those in her brother's year.

        "Fine.  Well I- I might see you later then," Harry said, grinning awkwardly.  

        "Yeah definitely," Ron replied, looking apprehensively at his friend.  "it's a pain having to go down there, I'd rather- but we have to- I mean, I'm not enjoying it, I'm not Percy!" Ginny almost snorted; Ron loved this authority thing, whether it was Percy's gig first or not.  

        "I know you're not," Harry replied, grinning genuinely for the first time since the conversation began.  Without further ado (much to Ginny's relief), Ron and Hermione turned and started walking for the Prefect's corridor, which Ginny knew was at the end of the train.  

        "Come on, if we get a move on we'll be able to save them places," she urged Harry, picking up her trunk and starting off down the corridor.  Just as Ginny suspected, most of the carriages already had passengers in them.  Even if they could have squeezed in, Ginny wouldn't have; they all kept staring and whispering at Harry.  It was appalling that they'd believe what the _Daily Prophet_ told them…did they learn _nothing_ from Rita Skeeter?  As she peered in, she still couldn't find her Gryffindor friends, or Michael for that matter.

        As it usually is with things like these, it was the very last carriage that brought them luck.  Ginny almost crashed straight into Neville Longbottom, a forgetful fifth year she knew fairly well.  His abysmal memory brought him a flimsy reputation, but the Neville she knew was determined and driven to succeed.  She grinned at him and slid by, peering into the compartment he had just left.  There was no one in there but a single girl reading the _Quibbler_ upside down…Luna Lovegood.  "Hi Harry, Hi Ginny," Neville said panting, trying to hold onto his toad with little success.  "Everywhere's full, I can't find a seat."  

        "What are you talking about?" she said.  "There's room in this one, there's only Loony Lovegood in here-"

        "I didn't want to disturb anyone," Neville mumbled, turning a little red.  Ginny laughed; everyone was so scared of her when really, she was quite harmless.

        "Don't be silly, she's all right," she assured him, sliding the door open and walking in with her trunk behind her.  She could hear the scrapings of Harry and Neville's trunks following her.  "Hi Luna.  Is it OK if we take these seats?" she asked the girl, gesturing at the empty seats.  Luna looked up.  Harry and Neville both shrank back a little, maybe from instinct, but Ginny was far too used to her from Herbology to mind.  After giving the new company a once over with her wide eyes, she nodded.  "Thanks," Ginny said, smiling gratefully.  Harry and Neville took their trunks and hers, pushing them into the compartments above.  

        "Have a good summer Luna?" Ginny asked to break the silence following the shuffle of belongings.  

        "Yes…yes, it was quite enjoyable you know," she replied dreamily.  "You're Harry Potter," Luna said bluntly.  Inwardly, Ginny groaned.  If she was another one of those people who would prod him like a science experiment it would be a very long trip indeed.  

        "I know I am," Harry replied, making Neville chortle.

        "And I don't know who you are," Luna said, looking to Neville.  

        He gulped. "I'm nobody," he said. 

        "No you're not," Ginny interrupted firmly, looking at Neville with reproachful eyes.  Neville's worst trait was his lack of self esteem. "Neville Longbottom- Luna Lovegood.  Luna's in my year, but in Ravenclaw."

        "_Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure_," Luna sang, voicing what Ginny knew was Rowena Ravenclaw's motto.  She suppressed a giggle as Harry and Neville exchanged glances.  

        This year's train ride wasn't as chatty as her usual ones were.  Ginny occupied herself with reading the cover of Luna's _Quibbler_.  Since it was upside down, it was a little more challenging to read, and because it was the _Quibbler, highly entertaining._

        She was just reading 'SECRETS OF THE ANCIENT RUNES REVEALED' when she heard Neville say 'Here, hold Trevor for me…' Lifting up her head sharply, she looked over; he was holding what looked like a small wobbly boiled plant, and he was taking out a quill.  Whatever he was doing, Ginny could bet it wouldn't end out well.  She watched warily as he meticulously selected a spot and poked it with his quill sharply.  

        Ginny gasped and threw up her hands without thinking as green glop splattered everywhere.  She could feel it on her hair, in between her toes, on the floor…

        Cautiously opening one eye, she saw that she had gotten off pretty well compared to the others.  Luna and Harry both had it all over their face and Neville looked like a green snowman.  She coughed, looking at a slop encrusted chunk of her hair as Neville spluttered.  "S-sorry…I haven't tried that before…didn't realize it would be quite so…don't worry though, Stinksap's not poisonous."

        Ginny certainly hoped so, as she seemed to have a small bit in her mouth.  She spat it out quietly as Harry did the same, but with a much larger portion.  As she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her robe, the compartment door slid open.  Everyone looked up through green slime at the girl standing at the door.

        She looked familiar…Ginny was quite sure she was on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, maybe Seeker?  By the look on Harry's face, _he_ definitely recognized her…  With a jolt of realization, Ginny remembered who it was.  Cho Chang, the girl who Cedric Diggory rescued from a lake and took to the Yule Ball, was now looking at the four people a little nervously.  

        "Oh…hello Harry," she said, tucking a perfectly straight shiny loose hair behind her ear.  Ginny silently hated her; how did a girl get that perfect hair when Ginny was stuck with furry red bits?!  "Um…bad time?"  Harry was hurriedly wiping the Stinksap off his glasses as Cho waited for an answer.  

        "Oh…hi," he said, looking slightly horrified.  With a suppressed laugh, Ginny realized at once what his feelings were for her.  What a nightmare, to be caught by your crush whilst covered in neon ooze!

        "Um…well…just thought I'd say hello…bye then."  Cho left rather quickly with a pink tinge on her cheeks, closing the door behind her carefully.  Across from Ginny, Harry groaned and let his head drop on the window in exasperation.  

        "Never mind," she tried to comfort him.  "Look, we can easily get rid of all of this."  Pulling her wand out of her pocket, she cried "Scourgify!" It felt so good to use magic again she thought as the sap instantly disappeared and Neville apologized sheepishly.

        "Anything off the trolley dears?" a kindly voice came suddenly.  Ginny looked up into the eyes of the trolley witch, smiling at them all.  

        "Chocolate Frogs and some Cauldron Cakes for me please," Ginny said, rummaging through her robes for her money pouch.  Soon, they were all trading cards and chatting over chocolate (always a good thing) about what this year would be like.  

        An hour later, her brother and Hermione finally showed.  Ron instantly reached for the Frogs as Hermione took a seat next to Ginny.  "Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each house," she said, leaning back and looking very disgruntled.  

        "And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" Ron added, still eating his Chocolate Frog.  Ginny grimaced as Harry voiced her fear.

        "Malfoy," he said, looking from Ron to Hermione.  

        "'Course," Ron replied, looking bitter.  Ginny bit her lip thinking of what Ron's reaction must've been like in the Prefect carriage; she would have given all her Chocolate Frogs to see it.

        "And that complete _cow_ Pansy Parkinson," Hermione said, clenching her fists.  "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll…"  Ginny almost laughed at this.  From sharing a room with Hermione during the summer, she had learned many interesting facts…one of which was that Hermione _hated_ Pansy Parkinson with a fiery passion.  

        "Who are Hufflepuff's?" Harry interjected, wisely in Ginny's opinion, because Hermione was looking dangerous.  

        "Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott," Ron replied, his mouth still stuffed with chocolate.  Ginny didn't recognize either of these names, but she listened eagerly for Ravenclaw's; Michael's friends were somewhat hers as well.

        "And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," Hermione put in, looking a little more relaxed.  These names rang a bell in Ginny's head.  Anthony Goldstein was one of Michael's "mates" she'd heard so much about and Padma was the girl Ron had taken to the Yule Ball.  From her trips to Ravenclaw table following that night, she knew Ron hadn't made the best impression on her.

        "You went to the Yule Ball with Padma Patil," Luna said suddenly.  Ron and Hermione looked at her in surprise, as if they hadn't seen her there before, and Ron gulped down his Frog with raised eyebrows.

        "Yeah, I know I did," he said to her.  Ginny bit her lip down to stop herself from bursting out laughing; his face was priceless.

        "She didn't enjoy it very much.  She doesn't think you treated her very well, because you wouldn't dance with her.  I don't think I'd have minded.  I don't like dancing very much," Luna told Ron as he gaped at her.  Ginny brought her knuckles up to her mouth to stop herself from giggling at the expression on his face.  He looked at her questioningly, but she shook her head, clamping down on her knuckles harder.   

        The next half hour went by without much incident, unless you count Luna almost going into cardiac arrest due to laughter at one of Ron's jokes.  Ginny used this extra time to read one of her new school books for Potions that looked interesting; she may have hated Snape, but the art of potion making was something she found fascinating.  It wasn't until they received an unwelcome visit from a Slytherin boy that things really started to get interesting.

        Draco Malfoy stood smirking broadly in the doorframe, and from her seat Ginny could see the Prefect's badge gleaming on his chest.  She scowled as Crabbe and Goyle, his henchmen, came into view, broad shouldered and looking more vacant minded than ever.  After hearing about Harry's end of the year fight with You-Know-Who, her dislike for Malfoy and his cronies had grown into full out loathing.  No one could have parents like that and not be the same way in her book.

        "What?" Harry said forcefully.  

        "Manners Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention."  Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw Ron give Hermione an exasperated look.  "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

        "Yeah.  But you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone," Harry countered, making everyone laugh except Luna, who was staring out the window dreamily. 

        Malfoy was looking dangerous, his lip curling in what seemed to be a sneer.  "Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?"  

        "Shut up Malfoy," Hermione said angrily.  One thing Ginny could say for Malfoy was that if he found a weakness, he pounced on it immediately and milked it up for all its worth.  

        "I seem to have touched a nerve," Malfoy said in satisfaction, smirking.  "Well, just watch yourself Potter, because I'll be _dogging_ your footsteps in case you step out of line."  

        "Get out!" Hermione snapped, leaping up and narrowing her eyes at the sniggering boy.  Malfoy gave Harry one more smirk before he left, with Hermione slamming the door behind him.  

--

        Another half an hour later and Ginny was standing on the platform with Crookshanks held precariously in her arms.  Ron and Hermione had shuffled off to help out with the rush of students now flooding off the train, and no doubt with the nervous first years Hagrid was to take across the lake.   She and Harry tried to keep each other in sight as they started to jostle their way through the crowds out the station.  

        "Where's Hagrid?" Harry said suddenly, looking around and stopping mid-step.  Ginny looked around; she couldn't see Hagrid anywhere.  She frowned, but was brought back to her senses when a rather burly boy trod on her toe.

        "I don't know, but we'd better get out of the way, we're blocking the door," she replied, elbowing someone in the side as she tried to get past them.  

        "Oh yeah…" he said rather vaguely, still looking around for Hagrid.  

        Despite her efforts to keep them together, Ginny lost Harry as she came out the station door.  The horseless carriages stood waiting, as always, right outside on the smoky path to the castle.  

        "Weasley! Hey Ginny!" Ginny turned around quickly to identify the speaker and grinned happily when she saw the face of Olivia Palliore.  Olivia was a Ravenclaw fourth year in her Herbology class with an almost Hermione worthy brain.  However, it was often overlooked by her complete lack of organization; apparently, last year Snape had given her a detention for failing to come to take a test.  Ginny had heard later that Olivia had forgotten there was one, and had gone to Divination instead.  

        "Liv!" Ginny cried, but in the moment she had taken to say this Olivia was pushed out of sight.  "Oh well," she sighed, shuffling Crookshanks in her arms so that it was more comfortable.  "Now, where are the others hmmm?" she said, half to the cat and half to herself.  Pushing herself through rather violently to get to the carriages, she suddenly spotted a splodge of thick red hair.  She headed towards it hastily, almost knocking over a mousy looking first year in her haste.  

        "There she is…" Harry said as the trio came into view.  Ginny smiled and tipped the cat into Hermione's waiting arms.

        "Thanks," Hermione said gratefully, kissing Crookshanks on his head.  "Come on, let's get a carriage before they all fill up…"

        Ginny and Hermione started heading off towards the nearest empty carriage.  "Are you sure they're coming?" Ginny asked Hermione anxiously, looking over her shoulder at the still stationary boys.  

        "'Course," Hermione said dismissively, clambering in and plopping down on a seat.  Ginny chose a seat across from her and leaned back on it happily.  "They'll follow me in."

        "I can't believe we're here!" Ginny said, looking out the window and up at the castle.  

        "Neither can I," Hermione agreed, her own eyes dodging towards Ginny's window.  "I didn't enjoy being locked up in that dismal house to tell you the truth."

        "Same!" Ginny said, happy to hear someone shared her opinion.  "Hogwarts really couldn't have started at a better time."  Hermione nodded and grinned, and they were silent for a moment to think about this.  School was starting again…what a year this would be.

--

        Ginny walked into the Great Hall and greeted it with a huge smile.  She hadn't realized how much she had missed everything despite her many fantasies about returning.  With a disappointed frown, she realized that Hagrid wasn't sitting at the staff table like usual.  Something bad couldn't have happened to him…could it?  He may not have been the ideal professor (something Ginny would never admit, being fiercely loyal to him), but he was somewhat her friend, and if he were hurt it'd be truly awful.  When Rita Skeeter had published that article about him, Ginny tried to get Hagrid to come out of his hut everyday, once even trying to lure him out with fudge, but it never worked.

        During her worrying about Hagrid, she had wandered over to the Gryffindor table, and in clear view were her four Gryffindor dorm mates.  They all squealed childishly as they made eye contact and Ginny ran over, giving them all fierce and quick hugs.  "I haven't seen you in ages!" she panted, slipping on the bench between two of them.

        Henna Baron, a tall, tan brunette with mischievous eyes that reminded Ginny of the twins' shook her ponytail. "Hmph…off fighting dragons…you'll have to come up with a better excuse than that!" Ginny's stomach disappeared for a moment- did she…did she know about Grimmauld Place??

        "For what?" she asked casually, leaning her elbow on the table comfortably.

        "For not seeing us!" the plump blonde on her right informed her grinning.  Vicky Frobisher had a laughing face with pink cheeks, and sometimes Ginny wondered whether she belonged in Hufflepuff for her dedication and loyalty to her friends.  However, it only took one nasty spill in a Flying lesson to show Ginny just how brave Miss Frobisher was.  "We went to Bristol, and you should've been there!"

        "You went to Bristol?" Ginny asked blankly, thinking of the sunny beach city she had only been to once.  "When?"

        "About a fortnight ago," Lanie Chang piped up from across the table.  The lesser known half of the Chang sisters, she was petite and graceful, with a love for all things red and gold. If there was a Hogwarts Cheerleading Squad, she'd be Captain.  "It was loads of fun, I can't believe you missed it!"

        "Yes well…" Ginny said, suddenly hating Grimmauld Place more than usual, "dragons, you know?"

        "Yeah we know," Vicky said, giving her a warm hug.  "It's great to see you."

        "We're not the only ones happy to see you," Henna suddenly said giggling.  Ginny's gaze instinctively went for the Ravenclaw table.  "Hellooo Master Corner!" Henna called teasingly, fluttering her eyelashes and her fingers at the bewildered boy.

        "You're going to traumatize him!" Ginny shrieked, grabbing Henna's hand and forcing it down.  Her eyes met with Michael's; he grinned and mouthed 'Nice friend'.  Ginny made a revolving motion with her finger attached to her head and crossed her eyes insanely.  Michael let out a bark of laughter appreciatively and received several strange looks for it.  

        "If anyone traumatizes the boy Gin, it's going to be you," Vicky said.  Ginny stuck her tongue out at her and settled herself back down in her seat.  She looked around and frowned.  

        "Where's Anne?" she asked, thinking of the shy brown haired girl.

        Lanie clicked her tongue sympathetically.  "HW.  Poor thing has the flu but didn't want to miss the train, so the minute she steps off Madam Pomfrey plonks her in the Wing."

        "Oh what a horrid way to start off the year!" Ginny said pulling a face.  "I hope she's better soon."

        "She will be.  You know she's Muggle-born so she's been getting all their kind of treatment, but I'm sure the Pomp will get her into shape in no time," Vicky said, tapping her nails on her golden plate.  

        "Speaking of the train…why didn't you sit with us?" Henna asked curiously.  

        Ginny sighed.  "I felt so bad…you know, Ron and Hermione got made prefects over the summer, and-"

        "Your brother?" Henna asked quickly.  "Not Perfect Harry Potter?"

        "Yeah," Ginny said, feeling a little uncomfortable.  Ron may not be perfect, but could everyone just stop making such a big deal out of the fact that he got the badge and Harry didn't?  "Well anyway, you know the prefects have to meet in a train carriage, and-"

        "Ooh look, the Sorting Hat!" Lanie squealed abruptly.  "Hope we get a lot of new Gryffindors!"  Ginny scowled at the second interruption but looked over.  The frayed black hat was perched on the stool, waiting for silence.  She leaned on her elbows to get a closer look, thinking she could finish the story later.  Its brim opened wide and started to sing.

        It was the strangest sorting song Ginny had ever heard.  Instead of listing the qualities each house possessed, it bestowed upon the school a cryptic warning; band together or fall apart.  Ginny's mouth hung slightly open as it sang of Slytherin and Gryffindor's friendship, hardly daring to believe it true.  She chanced a look at the Slytherin table, and had to grin when she saw Malfoy's usually smirking face twisted in a disgusted grimace.  

        Once the hat had finished, the Hall immediately broke out into whispers.  "Did you hear that?" Lanie asked in hushed tones.

        "Of course we did you idiot," Henna hissed back, looking at the hat with a mixture of fear and curiosity.  "Wonder what it meant?"

        "Wasn't it obvious?" Ginny snorted.  "I thought the 'we must unite inside her or we'll crumble from within' part was pretty clear."

        "It's never done that before," Vicky said, twirling a lock of hair around her finger anxiously.  

        "No, it hasn't," Ginny repeated thoughtfully.  What made this year so special?  Maybe the Second War really was approaching, as her parents had hinted so heavily during the summer.  

        "Abercrombie, Euan."  

        "What?" Ginny said, distracted.

        "They've started the Sorting," Lanie informed her, looking up at the first years.  Ginny pushed the song out of her head and watched as first years went up one by one.  They looked tiny; was she really that small three years ago?

        The Sorting this year went relatively fast, but by the end of it Ginny's stomach was rumbling horribly.  Dumbledore stood up and spread his hands apart; Ginny heartily hoped it was to let them eat.

        "To our newcomers, welcome!  To our old hands- welcome back!" Ginny grinned as Fred and George whooped.  "There is a time for speech making, but this is not it.  Tuck in!" Ginny and her friends laughed at this as the food appeared on their golden plates, sending tantalizing aromas throughout the Hall.  

        "Lovely," Ginny remarked as she sunk her knife into a tender chicken piece.  "I forgot how great the food was here- not that Mum's isn't as good," she added hastily.  

        Her friends laughed.  "I've tasted her cooking, I'll vouch for that," Vicky said, her mouth full with mashed potato.  

        "Oh yeah…my birthday party right?" Ginny asked, now chewing her chicken contentedly.  

        "Double digits," Vicky said nodding.  "Number 10 I think."

        "Why wasn't I invited?" Lanie asked in mock hurt.  

        "Oh I hate you don't you know," Ginny joked in casual tones.  "Do go away."

        Lanie flicked a piece of carrot at her, which she dodged easily.  She stuck out her tongue.  "Going to have to do better than that Chang," she teased in imitation of Fred and George.  

        "Ooh, do one of your imitations!" Henna said, putting down her knife and looking at Ginny eagerly.  

        Ginny sighed.  "Do I have to?"

        "Yes!" her friends chorused in unison.  Ginny had a knack for doing accents or voices; when she was little, she'd put on one man plays for her parents, depicting each Weasley to near perfection.  

        "Which one?" Ginny asked, swallowing some pumpkin juice.

        "Err…do McGonagall!" Lanie squealed.  

        Ginny grinned and closed her eyes, pursing her lips in a very thin, very straight line.  She opened her eyes and squinted down her nose at the three, as if wearing spectacles.  "Miss Baron, please collect the papers – Miss Chang, what _are_ you doing with that cockroach? – and see that they're neatly stacked please.  Homework tonight: write a paper describing the uses of the Blossoming Spell and its drawbacks, to be handed in on Monday." Ginny looked sternly at her friends before laughing.  "I hate that one," she said.

        "But you're so good at it!" Lanie argued as Henna and Vicky clapped.  Ginny mocked a little bow of her head and giggled.  

        It suddenly got very quiet around them; Ginny couldn't see why until she noticed that Dumbledore had stood up, and looked ready to make a speech.  She immediately closed her mouth and swallowed her giggles as he spoke.  "Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices."  Instinctively, Ginny tuned this out.  All this part would consist of was 'don't go in the Forest, Mr. Filch begs you not to misbehave, this year will be wonderful' blah blah blah.  But then she heard, "We have had two changes in staffing this year."

        "What?" she whispered in disbelief.  "_Two_?" It was obvious that there was to be a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher (there was one every year), but if there was another she was almost positive who would be replaced.  

        "Shh!" Lanie, Vicky and Henna shushed her in unison, looking at Dumbledore raptly. 

        "We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons…"

        "Like hell," Ginny mumbled.

        "…we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Dumbledore continued, and Ginny's eyes immediately flicked to the squat woman sitting on Dumbledore's right.  

        She didn't recognize hernd somehow knew instantly that she should be glad she didn't know this woman previously.  Her face was toad-like and pallid, and the hideous pink sweater she wore made her look like one of those candy stripers one sees on horror programs about hospitals.  Ginny grimaced at the thought of spending a year with this leering, unpleasant woman.  

        "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-" Dumbledore cut himself off.  Next to her, Vicky groaned.  

        "I was waiting for that bit!" she whispered as everyone looked at Dumbledore inquiringly.

        "_Hem, hem."  _Ginny jumped; where did that sound come from?  Her view swiveled from Dumbledore to Professor Umbridge and came to a rest.  The woman was so short, standing up hardly made a difference, but she was looking at the student body expectantly.  Ginny raised an eyebrow and sat back, interested to see what would happen now that this weird woman had interrupted Albus Dumbledore.  

        "Thank you Headmaster for your kind words of welcome," Professor Umbridge said.  Ginny almost fell off of her seat in surprise.  The woman's voice was high and girly, completely the opposite from what she would have expected from her exterior.  "_Hem, hem…well it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts I must say!"  Her smile looked as though she had Halloween fangs inside her mouth.  "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"  Across from Ginny, Henna was gaping with her mouth wide open, and Lanie had dropped her fork and was staring in horror.  "I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"_

        Although the situation for her Defense skills was looking grim, Ginny couldn't help thinking what wonderful imitation fodder this woman would give her.  She was sure the twins were thinking the same thing; Professor Umbridge was sure to have a few nasty little surprises coming her way.  

        Suddenly, Professor Umbridge changed her tone to a one not unlike a bank manager; strict, but scripted.  From the very first sentence ('The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance') Ginny felt her eyelids drooping.  The fact that it went on for fifteen straight minutes did nothing to save her boredom either.  She found herself making up a little tune with her fork and her golden goblet in the place of listening to the dull speech.  Vicky and Henna had started a thumb war and Lanie drew a rather poorly depicted Gryffindor lion on her arm.  The stupor was broken when the sound of clapping reverberated off the walls; Ginny dropped her fork in surprise as Vicky pinned Henna's thumb in her moment of weakness.  

        "Thank you very much Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," Dumbledore said, giving her a little bow.  Ginny rolled her eyes.

        "Don't think I could've taken much more of that," she mumbled, and Vicky nodded fervently in agreement.

        "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held on Friday the 6th of September on the Quidditch Pitch.  Please arrive ready with a broom and appropriate footwear," Dumbledore announced.  He went onto something about avoiding the Trethering Tentacles in Greenhouse Four, but Ginny didn't hear it.

        "Excellent, I should think I'm free then," Vicky muttered, taking out a quill and a slip of parchment.

        Ginny turned to look at her with an eyebrow raised.  "Are you trying out then?"

        "I think so…I reckon I've got a shot," she shrugged.  "If it doesn't clash with my clubs…"

        Henna groaned.  "You and your bloody clubs…how many is it now Vic?  Twenty?"

        "It's only thirteen, don't exaggerate," Vicky said dismissively, now scribbling down the date of tryouts on the parchment. 

        "Thirteen!" Lanie exclaimed incredulously.  "That's insane!" 

        "Which ones are you doing this year then?" Henna asked, looking at Vicky closely.

        "Charms, Gobstones, Future Ministers of Tomorrow, Society for the Injustice Against Half-Breeds, Extra Divination, History of Hogwarts, Debate, Cooking, Exploration, Waiting for Witch-hood, Painting with Pomfrey, Healing the Helpless and Tricky Transfig for Tentative Teens," Vicky rattled off absently, tucking away the parchment.  

        "Are you mad?" Ginny asked incredulously.  "How are you going to keep your head on with all that _and_ Quidditch?  Even Hermione doesn't do all that!"

        "I always manage fine," Vicky replied, looking slightly embarrassed. 

        "And so, I bid all of you adieu- have a happy sleep!" Dumbledore said, beaming down at them all and cutting into their interrogation of Vicky.  

        "Sleep!" Henna groaned longingly as they scrambled off their benches.  "I haven't had that in months."

        "Why not?" Ginny asked, helping Lanie carry some of her books as they headed for the staircase.  

        "Well my mum had a baby didn't she?" Henna replied gloomily.  "Ever since darling little Timothy came we've been up to our neck in nappies and hysterical wailing."  They all laughed as they climbed the stairs, heading for the Fat Lady.  

        "I was five when Rachel was born," Vicky said; they were now nearing the Fat Lady's portrait.  "So I don't really remember anything about her.  Mum said I pretty much stayed out of her way."

        "I'm the youngest," Ginny and Lanie chorused simultaneously, grinning at each other.

        "Lucky," Vicky and Henna replied together, and they all started giggling.  

        "Oh bugger, what's the password?" Ginny said suddenly as they faced the portrait helplessly.  

        "_'Mimbulus Mimbletonia'_," a small voice piped up behind her.  The girls all turned around.  

        "Hey Colin," Ginny greeted him as he came panting up.  "How did you know the password already?"

        "I overheard your brother giving it to the first years," Colin replied, wheezing slightly.  Next to him, Henna made a face and took a small step back.  The Creevey brothers weren't the most popular of Gryffindors, even within the house.  

        Ginny smiled at him gratefully.  "Thanks.  Mimbulus Mimbletonia!" she said, and the Fat Lady smiled.

        "Nice to see you all again," she said as she swung open.

        "And you!" they cried as they scrambled through the hole, Colin in the rear.  They entered the Common Room with wide eyes, taking in all the warmth radiating from the red and gold, the crackling fire and the moonlight pouring in through the windowpanes.

        "Home sweet home," Ginny sighed happily as she skipped to the door of the girl's dormitories.  It would be wonderful to sleep in a bed that didn't poke your back with its springs all night.

--

**Authoress' Note: **You'll notice in this chapter that I don't put in every Ginny moment from the book.  This is because I don't see why I should- I'll have plenty of extra scenes to make up for it.  An example of my editing is Ginny asking about Grubbly-Plank in the carriage and then insisting Hagrid's a great professor; I think I made it pretty clear she admires him without that bit.  I can't put in everything, because then I'll be writing for five years, but I am trying my best. :) If anyone feels like it was incomplete or something without it, just let me know and I'll write it in I guess.  I'd thank you all, but I haven't got the time and I know you want this up ASAP…this just means that the next chapter will be longer in coming. Until next time! -Red


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